MegaKat Shield
by Kanto the Slayer
Summary: The old system is on the verge of being destroyed, and a new one will take its place. But while that happens, villains rise to take control while leadership is at its weakest. MegaKat needs a new shield. Takes place after SWAT Kats: Endgame.
1. Chapter 1

The double doors of the Grand Regal Hotel's conference hall loomed before her, brass knobs winking at her as the lights shone on them. She tugged at the right sleeve of her neatly-pressed pink suit, checking a button that she knew wasn't there; ran her left hand through her waist-length blond hair. Thank God for Professor Hackle. He had a way to fix anything, even her dye issues.

She looked down and busied herself with counting the floor tiles, tracing invisible patterns with her eyes. Technically, she had ten minutes to go before Mayor Manx officially presented her, but she wanted to get in and get it done right now. That, or run like hell. Those reporters would have questions out the ears; some would wonder if she'd return to her job as Deputy Mayor.

She had a definite answer to that one.

That was the only question she really wanted to answer. This press conference was mostly a PR campaign set up by Mayor Manx, nothing more. She knew that. But what she really had to say would shock everyone, including him. She smiled as she imagined the look of complete surprise on his face, maybe even a little bit of fear.

A hand on her right shoulder made her flinch. "Hey. Is everything okay?"

She looked toward the voice, owned by a she-kat around her height. Red hair hung down to the middle of her back and adorned her mid-length tail, but almost milky white fur covered everything else. A black leather choker around her neck and cozy black flats on her feet were the only dark things on her; the rest was all bright and lively. Cream colored jacket and slacks, a casual, short-sleeved light blue shirt.

The blond tried to smile, but it fell short of her eyes. "It's just nerves." Yeah, just nerves. She was about to ruin the life she'd just gotten back. "I'll be fine."

The auburn-haired queen shrugged. "If you say so. But if I were you Ms. Briggs, I would stop your paws from shaking. Makes a bad impression about how fine you are."

Calico Briggs looked down at her paws. Shit. She clenched her fists, dropping them to her sides. She wished Chance were here; at least he'd be able to calm her down. "How long do we have until this starts?"

"Eight minutes. That's plenty of time to do your calm-down thing."

She sighed. Why'd she always call it that? Granted, she didn't know what to name it herself, but anything was better than that. Callie rubbed her forehead with her right hand. "I'm not sure I'm ready to do this. Maybe I should have just stayed dead. Things were so much easier when everyone thought I was gone."

A squeeze on her right shoulder again. "Well, we all have to die in some way to find out what's important. I guess now is a bad time to find out that this isn't important, but… if it's not, we can leave and pretend this was never arranged."

Callie shook her head. "No, Snowy. This is important to me. I have to do it, or else we're all in trouble." That sure was a light way to put it. If things kept on going as they did, the city was done for, one way or another. She checked her tie, straightened her shoulders. Perfect posture, head high. No more excuses. She closed her eyes, taking in a controlled breath of air.

The world began to fade as her thoughts slowed their pace. Heart rate lowered, tension released, muscles relaxed. Seconds turned to minutes as she stopped thinking altogether and reached into that part of her that was well-trained by now. Callie stepped outside of herself, and began to feel instead of see.

She could feel her friend to her right, looking right at her ...kats walking behind them, past them ...the reporters inside, anxious, waiting for the announcement ...the mayor, wringing his hands together, eager to break the news.

Callie let herself take in all she could, then shut off the flow. Opening her eyes, expression far calmer than a few minutes ago, she asked, "What's our time, Angela?"

The redhead checked her watch. "He should be coming on now."

Callie smirked. That explained why the Mayor was so eager. "Let's do this."

* * *

**Kanto the Slayer** presents

A _SWAT Kats_ Fanfiction

_**MegaKat Shield**_

* * *

Mayor Manx was almost giddy with anticipation. What a relief, that Callie wasn't dead! Without her, he wouldn't have time for his golf game at all. He'd practically been running on fumes for the past few months, trying to keep his ears above water and his tail away from the sharks. His business contacts had all but abandoned him after hearing about the loss of the Deputy Mayor.

Even _they_ knew he was worthless. As if he cared. Besides, no one would seriously run against him. Anyone that threw up a challenge met one of two fates: they were outspent or outmaneuvered. If there was one thing he was good at, it was a campaign. As long as he held the seat, nothing else mattered to him.

He cleared his throat to get the reporters' attention, his face beaming. "I would like to take this time to thank you all for attending this press conference on such short notice. You may be wondering why I called you all here, and I will get to that in due time. But I would just like to state, for the record, that I am once again running for reelection. Now, no one's told me who my opponent is yet, but I certainly hope they're ready for a fight. This proud city has been my home for thirty years, and the only way I'll let go of it is when I'm too old to run another race. Have to admit, that's not too far off…"

Good, that got them laughing. Always be entertaining. "But I wouldn't be able to do my job without a Deputy Mayor to take care of all the things I am unable to do alone. It would be nearly impossible to execute all the functions of all my office without one. With that in mind, I would like to introduce the focus of this press conference." He made a grand, sweeping gesture toward the double doors at the back. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you Calico Anne Briggs!"

Gasps resonated throughout the room and flash bulbs went off as the blond bombshell entered into the room with a confident switch in her walk. She didn't have her glasses today. How strange. A pretty little redhead walked to her right, dressed in white and blue. Had she been making new friends?

He stepped out of the way as she approached, nodded toward him. She stopped in front of the podium, reached for the glass of water to her left and took a sip. Even that seemed graceful. She cleared her throat and leaned forward, just slightly, speaking into the mic. "No, ladies and gentlemen, you are not seeing a ghost. I am very much real, and very much alive. And before we begin, I would like to explain why."

The crowd fell silent as she started, and Mayor Manx sat down in a chair to the right of the podium. Even he wanted to hear this one.

"As you all well know, I was tortured by Dark Kat regarding information about the SWAT Kats. Their location, armaments, identities; just about anything he wanted to know. In a way, I can understand. I was the closest to them, have worked with them on occasion, and publicly defended them from ill-intentioned scrutiny. Of course, I refused, and for that, I almost paid with my life.

"Even after Dark Kat's defeat that night, I still believed my life was in danger. Everyone in the city's underworld knew I was a key player in running this city, and whoever had me would have significant leverage on the mayoral office. The only way to reduce the chances of that was to make myself vanish… so I did."

She looked around the room, probably reading the mood of the crowd or something. She was good at that.

"The car bombing was a ruse, a distraction to fool any potential threats. I needed something convincing, something that seemed final. I can't reveal who helped me orchestrate all this; probably never will. But rest assured that it was both for my best interests and for those of the city at large. That said, I would like to take this time to publicly apologize to the Enforcers and the people of MegaKat City. It was a deliberate deception, however necessary, and one that I deeply regret. I will spend every waking hour, starting now, making it up to everyone."

She nodded. "And with that, the floor is open for questions."

Once she said that, the clamor started, making Manx's ears ring. All right, she really was the star of the show. No question about that. But he was the mayor, and he had the final say on what she did and did not do. He was content with letting her field the questions, until a specific one caught his ears.

"Ann Gora, Kat's Eye News. Great to see you back among us, Ms. Briggs. Do you have any plans on going back to work as Deputy Mayor?"

Mayor Manx stood from his chair. Okay, now he'd have to interject. "Of course she does! I'll happily welcome her back to her station as soon as she's gotten herself…"

"I'm afraid not."

Manx went stiff as a board, his jaw slack. His brain tried to process what his ears just heard, but before his mouth got the message, she kept rolling along. "That is because I hereby announce my candidacy for the Office of the Mayor of MegaKat City."

An explosion of voices filled his ears. He didn't hear. All he could do was sputter, his usually silver tongue rendered useless. "But I … You …!" He turned to look at her, eyes wide with shock. "C-Callie, what is the meaning of this? And who is this she-kat you brought with you?"

She smiled graciously, as if she'd just heard the best question of the day. "I was just about to get to that. I would like to introduce one of my best friends and my Deputy Mayor, should I be elected into the office. This is Angela Snowshoe, and over the next few months, you will hopefully come to know her as well as I do."

The redhead grinned and gave a short wave. "It's a pleasure to meet you!"

Mayor Manx groaned. Of all the things she had to say, why'd it have to be that? She had to be joking. Yes, that was it; this was a trick and she'd come back to work tomorrow, and he'd go back to working on his game. Everything would be just fine. Maybe he'd even see about getting her friend a position on the City Council!

He nodded. It was all just a joke. She'd work for him just like always.

* * *

Callie doubled over with laughter outside of the conference room, paws clutching her sides. "Oh my God, did you see the look on his face? Priceless! I hope there are enough pictures to go around!" She tried her best to get some air back as the conference replayed in her head. Hell of a way to start a campaign, that.

Angela giggled. "Especially his mouth! He looked like a fish out of water!"

Callie laughed even harder as Angela tried to mimic his face once she told everyone she'd run. God, he really did look like a fish out of water! She'd never let him live this one down.

"Well, I'm glad you're having fun with this. Joking like that isn't funny, you know."

Callie turned her head toward Mayor Manx, his arms folded across his chest. She straightened herself, cleared her throat, and tried not to laugh again. Just looking at him was enough to play that scene back all over again. "No, I'm not joking. What gave you the impression that I was?" Probably his ego.

Manx looked sour. "I'm disappointed. I thought we'd be a team, just like always. Why did you decide to do this now of all times, during an election year? You don't even have the funding for a proper campaign!"

Callie smirked. Yeah, keep talking. "Well, you know me; I like solving problems. It just so happens that you're the problem. You've _been_ the problem all along." Her expression turned into a judgmental scowl. "The job's gotten to your head. This city is on the verge of collapse. You've never signed a single sheet of paper in your life, and you know it."

The Mayor smiled. "That's what _you're_ for, Callie! Listen; let's forget this ever happened. You probably said all that because you're tired from today's conference. Go home, get some rest, and be in the office tomorrow by—"

"Shut up." Her eyes narrowed, fists trembling at her sides. Years of pent-up frustration began to bubble and steam. "You know, I've been nice to you because you're my boss. Everything you've asked me to do, I've done, without question. I've spent my days off, my vacation time, my _life_, working to keep this city from going under." She stalked toward him, forced him back toward the conference hall. "And what do you do to help me? What time have _you_ given to making the city a better place?"

Callie pinned him to the wall with her icy stare, and soon had him against the double doors. "You've done nothing, that's what. I've watched you sit around and be completely clueless, not a care in the world. And I _let it happen_ by doing your work for you." She stopped, mere inches away from him. "Not anymore. We were never a team, because you never led. And now all that you've neglected to do is about to bite you in the ass. So get ready, because this is the last year you will ever see that leather swivel chair in City Hall."

The wide-eyed fear on his face made her very happy. She turned and stormed out with Angela in tow. She needed to be away from him before she did something unladylike. "He is such a _perfect_ asshole. I had half a mind to slap him!"

"Yeah, well that wouldn't have been good for your public image. After all, you're in the running." She tilted her head to the right. "Speaking of that, where exactly is our funding going to come from? We don't have a staff, sponsors, anything."

Callie just kept on walking, her mind racing. "You let _me_ worry about support. _You _have the job of putting together the team. I want you to scour your contacts; find the best people you know. They need to be friends of yours, because I don't want any division in our camp."

Angela grinned, pulled out her phone. "I'm on it!"

Callie smirked. This was just the beginning of her surprises for him. By the time this was over, he'd never work in this town again.

* * *

A knock at the front door made her groan. She couldn't catch a break today, could she? She sat up in bed, stifling a yawn with her right hand. She didn't look at the clock to the right of her bed. It'd only remind her of how tired she was. The blond stumbled out of bed, pressed in a panel to the right of the bedroom door. It slid upward, revealing a five-inch monitor that turned on once the false section of the wall fully retreated.

A brunette with white hair near the ears, brown eyes, and dark fur shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Felina Feral. She wasn't much for fashion, really; that dark blue shirt and black jeans combination was almost a second skin for her. The leather jacket was a recent addition, but it wasn't anything flashy. It looked like she hid something behind her back.

Callie sighed. Fine, she'd indulge her. The flaxen she-kat trudged out of the master bedroom, feet sinking into the carpet with every step. She straightened out her white cotton blouse and pink Capri pants as she headed down the steps, past the entrance to the guest bedroom. "Sit tight," she shouted, "I'm coming!"

"You better," came from the other side of the door.

Callie smiled. Okay. That made her feel better. She trotted toward the door and opened it, revealing the recently re-instated Enforcer. "You certainly look nice, considering you just got off work. Come on in." She stepped to the left, allowing Felina access. "So, what brings you here, Lieutenant?"

"Actually, it's Captain now." Felina grinned. "I guess _someone_ up top realized how valuable I am." She brought her hands from behind her back and presented a light blue box, gift wrapped with a white ribbon. "Saw you on TV. You looked like your old self."

So it was a present. Figures. Callie took the box as Felina kicked her boots off and walked into the apartment. "Yeah, well I'm my _new_ old self now. If that even makes sense." She tugged at the ribbon. "What's in here?"

"Open it and you'll find out."

Callie raised an eyebrow. That didn't sound good. She nudged the door closed with her left foot as her hands removed the ribbon with one pull. Her eyes widened as she opened the box. "No you did _not_."

Felina smiled at her from the couch. "Yes, I _did_. Who loves ya?"

"You do!" She reached in and popped a chocolate-covered strawberry into her mouth. A purr came from her throat and her tail curled as the chocolate melted in her mouth, mixing with the sweet juices of the fruit. "I haven't had these in _forever_. Where'd you find them?"

Felina sank further into the plush white leather of the couch. "Oh, just this little dessert shop close to the station. Small place, family-owned. They make the best stuff on the block; hell, I'd say in the city." She looked over at Callie. "I should take you sometime."

"You should!" She popped another strawberry. "So then, how's Jake?"

Felina paused for a moment. "He's… adjusting. Been used to that scrap heap for so long he's almost forgotten what it means to have an apartment to come back to. Maybe that's why I invited him to stay with me for a while."

Callie grinned. Yeah, right. "Sure it's not because you're hot for him?"

Felina stuck her tongue out at the blonde. "Yeah, like you're not hot for Chance! Speaking of that, why haven't you invited him to shack up with you? Shouldn't he be around the house somewhere, watching TV?"

"You'd think I haven't done that." Callie's head bowed, her expression tinged with worry. "But he keeps on saying he'd be in my way. He's trying to be his own tom somewhere out there, and I can see his point." She shook her head. "I just want to do something for him. He's done so much for me; hell, I owe him my _life_. The least he could do is let me give him a place to stay."

Felina scoffed. "He's just being a mule. You need to get it through that thick skull of his that you're worried about him, and to just marry you already."

Callie reached for another strawberry and put it into her mouth. "Yeah, I know, right?"

Then it sank in.

Callie spit out the strawberry she'd been chewing on, bits of fruit flying onto the coffee table. She wiped her mouth off with her right paw, staring at Felina with eyes the size of dinner plates. "_What_!"

Felina grimaced. "Oh, that's nasty."

"Well _you_ made me do it! And what do you mean, get married! I'm not ready for that kinda thing yet!" Callie blushed. "Well, maybe _I_ am… But he probably isn't." She shook her head so fast, her hair whipped about. "Whatever! What about you and Jake, huh?"

Felina shook her head. "Are you kidding? I'm definitely not ready. Don't think he is, either. But we're still shacking up, because he needs it." She smirked. "And because he's a tiger in the sack. So… you could call us together, but at the same time not. Y'know?"

Callie's blush deepened. "You're unbelievable, Felina Feral."

Felina grinned. "And you love me for it, Calico Briggs." She reached over and mussed the blonde's hair. "So, what's on TV?"

* * *

The bathroom lights made her hair shine as she ran a brush through it, her negligee shimmering in the glare of the mirror. Just about everyone had come to visit her today, one after the other; Benny, Jake, Snowy with news about the team she was putting together. It surprised Callie to no end Angela could work so fast. She'd be a good Deputy Mayor.

Yeah, if they won. Callie sighed. The fact still lingered in her mind that Mayor Manx had never lost when it came to campaigning. He had a staff with enough resources to smother an opposing runner within the first few months of their attempt. She knew she'd get hit with all sorts of negative attacks from the get-go. They'd make the people want to eat her alive by the time they were done.

She wouldn't stoop that low. Much as she disliked Mayor Manx, she would not resort to personal attacks and smearing. If she was going to fight, she'd fight fair. No sense in making things worse than they already were. She finished brushing her hair and started on her tail when the doorbell rang. She groaned. What, again? And it was almost nine in the evening, too!

She left the bathroom and slid into her plush cotton slippers next to the closet before heading downstairs. This was the last thing she needed right now. The hairs on her tail stood on end as she headed toward the door, making her raise an eyebrow. What the …? She stopped where she was, her ears twitching.

This feeling is—

She tried to slow her breathing, since it'd sped up just a bit. This late at night, it didn't take much to clear her mind, and this time her eyes were still open. The aura behind the door was potent, strong. Her skin tingled as she reached for the door knob. She'd felt this before, many times. Unless she missed her guess, it was…

She opened the door. Her heart raced as she laid eyes on him in a dark blue, worn denim jacket. She could smell the body spray he'd probably used on himself before coming here. It only made him more imposing, despite the docile look in his eyes. His dark brown t-shirt fit close, displaying his chiseled body. Black cargo pants clung to his hips, tucked into eight inch black boots.

Chance Furlong. Even before opening the door, she knew it was him. No one else had this effect on her. "H-hello." Like her voice not working right. Damn it. She cleared her throat. "Are those for me?"

He smiled. "Yeah. Figured I'd get you something to celebrate your big announcement." He handed her a bouquet of irises. "Can I come in?"

She took the flowers and stepped to one side. "Sure, by all means." Please don't leave. She shivered as he walked past her. His energy made her skin come alive with sparks of static electricity. "How are things going? Have you found a place yet?"

Chance shrugged out of his jacket. "Getting close to it. Hasn't been easy, lemme tell ya. Kats around here are stuffy about who they let in. I'd say a few more days, week tops." He tossed it over the back of the couch, turned toward her. "You okay?"

No. She wasn't. She wanted to run from him, or run to him. Her mind flip-flopped between the two options as she closed the door. "I'm …passable. It's been a long day." Callie sighed and turned toward him again. "Everyone's been doing the whole well-wishing thing."

Chance chuckled. "Well they should. You probably knocked the Mayor flat on his ass with that."

Callie smiled and approached him until she stopped a few feet away. Too close and she'd trip all over herself. His deep, soft laugh made her ears flick, and not in a bad way either. "Well I wanted to make a good first impression. Besides, he has everything that's about to happen coming to him." Her face soured into a scowl. "He's had it coming for a while now, if you ask me. Did you know he asked me to come back to work for him _right after_ the press conference?"

Chance frowned, eyebrows knotting. "Asshole!"

She nodded, right hip cocked with a hand placed on it. "Hell yes. I wanted to knock his teeth in and step on his tail." And that was just for starters. "I don't know how I'll make it through this without some kind of violence. God knows I'll try, but if he acts like he usually does, I might lose it."

Chance shrugged. "Well if you wanna do that, just remember what you're doing this for."

She knew, all right. The reason was right in front of her. Felina's words echoed in her mind as she got even closer to him, right into his personal space. She felt light-headed as his scent hit her full force. He could never get rid of it, even after a shower. "Where are you staying?"

His features softened. "The usual place, really. It's all I got." He smirked. "I'm lucky Burke and Murray haven't kicked me out yet."

She shook her head. Figures. "Stay with me."

Chance raised an eyebrow. "You mean just for tonight?"

No, forever. Callie shook her head again. Not yet. "I mean, until you get your place."

He frowned, his eyes turning sad. "You know I can't do that."

"Because you're making your own life, right? I get that." Her eyebrows curved upward. "But that place is run down, horrible to live in, and you have to deal with those jerks just about every day. And the noise has to be completely nerve-wracking." Her eyes took on a troubled cast. "I can't stand to see you like this."

He nodded. "I know. It'll get better, I promise. I just have to wait until the application goes through and I'm good."

Callie's jaw tightened, the corners of her mouth turning down. Damn him, why'd he have to be so stubborn? Couldn't he see she needed him? "All right, then stay just for tonight. And tomorrow." She lifted a finger before he could get another word in. "I'm not giving you a choice here."

Chance raised his hands as if blocking her words. "Hey, I'm not complaining!" He looked behind him at the couch. "Guess I could use this to sleep on."

"No, you're not. There's a guest bedroom for a reason, Chance. Come on." She headed toward the back, motioned for him to follow. She could feel his eyes on her as she led him toward the bedroom in question, and swished her tail just a bit more with every step. Callie smiled when she heard Chance cough. He sure as hell wasn't sick, that was for sure.

She opened the bedroom door and turned on the light. The place was comfy, not too small. Off-white walls with vines and leaves painted on the left-side wall. A queen-sized bed to the right with earth tone sheets and a brown comforter. An oak wood dresser a few feet in front of it with a television on top. A sliding door closet at the far end of the room. The same plush carpet that extended through the majority of the house was here as well. It'd probably feel nice to wake up and walk on something other than a cold tile floor for a change.

Callie turned toward him with a smile. "Home sweet home, at least for now. You like?"

He smiled. "Yeah, it's nice. Who got you such a nice place?"

She rolled her eyes. "The Mayor. Figured he'd do me a favor, probably to butter me up so I'd work for him. Thing is, he just gave me a base of operations, since I'm the one paying for it now and not him."

Chance's smile turned into a grin. "Funny how that happens, huh?"

She wrung her paws together. He was still too close. God, how would she be able to sleep? She stepped to her right, giving him access. "Let me know if you need anything. Don't worry about breakfast tomorrow; I'll take care of that." Probably had to wake up early for it, too. She had tons of shit to do in the morning.

He made his way forward, his tail brushing her thighs. Callie tried not to shudder as her heart picked up its pace again. Time to go. "I really need to sleep now." She made her way out of the room, tried not to be too quick about it. "Good night."

"Good night," came from behind her.

Her skin settled down as she left the circle of his presence and skittered off toward the master bedroom. Callie closed and locked the door, pressed her back against it. She could still feel him, just a few feet down the hallway, moving around the guest bedroom. Her heart tried to kick its way out of her chest and head back there. "I can't take this." This was why she _didn't_ want him here. The sex they'd had didn't change a thing; he still made her feel like a lovesick kitten.

She smiled. Then again, that was _exactly_ why she wanted him here. Callie headed toward her bed and slid under the covers, thanking whatever star made her lucky tonight. She might not get any sleep, but her dreams would be a hell of a show!

* * *

**Chapter 01: **_**Throwing Down the Gauntlet**_

I told you it was coming. YOU HEARD ME SAY IT. Now it's here.

You are about to witness part one of what I call the SWAT Kats Universe, a collection of stories that reaches for new heights and re-defines the series. New locations will be added, new faces will be seen, and new villains will rise to change the face of the game.

Yeah, I know. I sound a bit ostentatious. But I was this way while writing Endgame, and I refuse to back down from that stance. I'm trying to become the premiere writer of SWAT Kats fiction, and this is my start. Get ready for something that will blow your mind, throw the pages of the script out the window, and change the face of the cartoon that started it all. _Again_.

Special thanks to **ulyferal** for beta reading this chapter. She made it look like it does now, and without her I wouldn't have gotten this up when I did. Big shout-out goes to the SWAT Kats fans that made Endgame so big. Let's do it one more time!

Until next chapter, this is your Slayer.


	2. Chapter 2

"Yeah, I'm calling about that apartment for rent in East MegaKat City. Name's Furlong… yeah, I'll hold."

Chance tapped his right foot, a cell phone to his left ear. Today had to be the day, it _had_ to be. If he had to spend one more day with the Terrible Two, he'd go postal on 'em. Wouldn't be the first time he wanted to, but this time he'd actually go through with it. Of course, he'd never see the last of Commander Feral if he did, but it'd make him feel a hell of a lot better.

After two minutes, he heard a voice on the other end. "Yeah, I'm Chance Furlong, checking in on the status of that apartment for rent. I was wondering if my application went through or not." He paced around the small room, a wild thing trapped in too small of a space. A duffel bag with all the clothing he owned sat on his bed, neatly packed and ready to go.

He raised an eyebrow. "Really? How soon?" He grinned. Awesome! "Yeah, I got a pen. Lemme put you on speaker." He started to write the information down. God please, let this be the one. Let it be somewhere actually nice this time, too. The last two places he found were the pits. Hell, maybe there weren't any nice places in this neighborhood, but this one better be cleaner than the others were.

"Thanks, I'll head right over." He hung up and pocketed the address.

Looking over at his bag, he wondered if he should take it with him this time. After all, the place wasn't set in stone yet, and bringing it with him would just get his expectations up. He looked away to stare at the door with a grimace, as if he could see right through it. He didn't trust those bastards with _any_ of his things.

Chance hefted the bag, slung it over his right shoulder, and walked out, closing the door behind him. The sound of drills and ratchets filled his ears. Good, they're working. Keeping a low profile, he snuck out past the garage doors. He'd deal with their barbs later, if he came back at all today.

He certainly hoped he wouldn't.

He reached the salvage yard gates without being spotted and sighed with relief. So far so good. He looked around for the familiar yellow of a taxi, raised his hand as soon as he found one, and hollered, "Hey, cabbie!"

The taxi stopped at the curb and Chance hopped in, looking back at the garage after he'd opened the door. This was the last time he'd ever see it again… hopefully.

"Where to?"

Chance fished out the directions from his right pocket and gave them to the driver. "This address, as fast as you can."

The cab pulled away from the curb and Chance sighed again after they'd gone five hundred yards. Every time he left, he felt a little better about his chances that he'd never come back. But if this one wasn't the one …well, he didn't know what he'd do, but he knew part of it would involve taking a baseball bat to the windows of a certain dump truck.

* * *

**Kanto the Slayer** presents

A _SWAT Kats_ Fanfiction

_**MegaKat Shield**_

* * *

"Is this the one you asked for?"

Chance nodded as he eyed the number on the door. "Yeah, this is the one we talked about. Number 562."

The landlady, a queen in her late fifties, nodded and unlocked the door. "Well, lemme show you around. Place just got cleaned two days ago so mind your step."

Chance took his shoes off and followed the landlady, taking a good look around as he entered the apartment. Hell, she was right. The place was spotless. His feet barely made a sound on the whitewashed tile entrance, which soon turned into carpeting on which he could see the thin lines left behind by a steam vacuum.

He looked toward the living room, grimaced at what he saw. Damn. Whatever, he'd get his own furniture.

The kitchen was to their left, just as clean as everything else was. The landlady walked over and flicked on the lights.

Chance peered into the room and beamed. Okay, awesome. Huge refrigerator already installed, nice dishwasher too. Pretty high-tech stuff in here. "Did you renovate this place recently?"

She chuckled. "So you noticed, eh? Lemme tell you, it was difficult to do. Times aren't exactly easy, y'know. Had to bust my tail to have these installed, plus the walls painted, the floors cleaned…" She shook her head. "It's not exactly a golden age for this city."

Chance nodded. "I hear ya. You mind if I uh, look around a bit more?"

She shrugged. "Be my guest."

He made his way to the hallway, opened the first door on his left… just a closet, probably for the cleaning stuff. He closed it, walked a few feet and opened the next door, turning on the lights. Okay, he'd found the guest bathroom. Sliding glass door for the bathtub to his right, sink and toilet to his left. Just enough room to get in, get things done, and get out.

He shrugged and turned off the lights. Turning around, he checked the door just across the hall.

Empty, just like the living room. Probably the guest bedroom. He'd have to put something in here too. Chance headed toward the last door on his left at the end of the hallway, opened the door and whistled as he checked out how much space this room had. Master bedroom, definitely. He stepped in and took a short trip around, scoped out the bathroom at the far left corner. Not much more space than the guest bathroom, but… he nodded to himself. It'll do.

He walked back out of the room, turned the lights off, and made his way back to the main room. The landlady was still in the kitchen, waiting for him.

"Is the place to your liking?"

Chance nodded. "Yeah, definitely. It's a really nice place." He noticed a few papers on the counter. "Where do I sign?"

She smiled. "You're making a really good decision here. I heard about your situation. It's about time you got out of that nasty place." She leaned on the counter. "Tell you what… I'll cut rent by a hundred bucks for the first month, just for you."

Chance's eyes widened. "Seriously?"

She nodded. "Those two sound like assholes. You deserve a break."

Chance stood silent for a few seconds before fishing a pen out of his right pocket. "Let's do this..." Time to take his life back.

* * *

It took all of the next two days to set his new apartment to rights.

A cotton couch and loveseat, both off-white, now rested comfortably in the living room. A glass coffee table just in front of the couch glimmered as the light from the ceiling shone down on it. The loveseat was just to the right of the couch, at an angle. A black entertainment system sat close to the far wall of the room, fully equipped with a sound system and a high definition TV.

He'd stocked the pantry in the kitchen and the fridge was full of goodies. Underneath the sink, behind a pair of doors, cleaning sprays and floor cleaners lay in wait for any sort of mess to menace the kitchen. He'd had to use them twice already on the counters.

A queen-sized memory foam bed, made and tucked with cream colored sheets and a gold coverlet, sat in the guest bedroom, the wood headboard placed flat against the west wall. A huge redwood dresser stood empty, waiting patiently to the right of the bed for its first guest. A small nightstand of the same wood with a lamp on top sat to the left of the bed, finishing the pretty picture nicely.

The master bedroom was the room he'd spent the most time on.

Chance sat on the king-sized bed, savoring the scenery. Two nightstands on either side of the bed, big enough to hold a lamp and a few other things besides. A mahogany, three-drawer dresser across from the foot of the bed, with a cabinet on top big enough to hold a television inside. Just next to it, a work desk with a leather swivel chair to compliment it.

Chance flopped down onto the bed with a blissful sigh, sinking into the memory foam. Thank God for whoever made this stuff.

It was his. All of it. This apartment, these things, he bought them with his money.

Chance chuckled. Now he sounded a little conceited. But he couldn't help it. For years, he'd had to pay every cent he'd earned to Commander Feral. Now …now it was all his and he could do what he wanted with it. Chance closed his eyes and purred. He needed a bottle of milk.

The doorbell broke into his musings. Dammit. He got up from the bed, stretched his limbs. This better be important. He marched toward the door, intent on either letting whoever it was in or locking every bolt he could reach.

The doorbell rang again. "Keep your shirt on, I'm coming!"

He peered out the peep hole and shot down any thought of securing the door. It was Jake.

The slim tom still wore that cap of his, even after leaving the garage. Go figure. Wearing light blue denim jeans, a jacket cut from the same stuff, and a white cotton t-shirt underneath, Jake stared at the door expectantly.

Chance wasted no time unlocking the deadbolt and opening the door. "Buddy!"

"Hey, man! I heard about the successful move," Jake said, hugging his best friend before stepping into the entryway. "You mind if I get something to eat? I'm starving." Jake kicked off his shoes and strode onto the carpet, staring around as he made his way to the kitchen. "Whoa! Didn't waste any time did you?"

Chance shrugged. "No sense in it. I figured I'd secure this place before anyone else could get their hands on it. Only way I could do that with some finality is putting my own stuff in here." He headed for the kitchen as well and made his way toward the fridge. "I got a few mega-sub sandwiches in here from last night, you want one of those?"

Jake chuckled. "Even with your own place, you can't get enough of those. Sure, gimme one."

Chance opened one of the doors, fished one out and tossed it to Jake, then took his own half-eaten sandwich out and closed the fridge. "How're things with job hunting, any luck?" Probably not.

"Don't ask _me_ about that shit! Since Callie stopped being Deputy Mayor, jobs are down the tank." Jake sighed, waiting for the microwave to finish heating Chance's food. "I kinda feel responsible for the current situation, though. Know what I mean?"

Chance looked over the counter at him. "Yeah, I do... It's why I wanted to stay as far out of her way as possible." Sure, if they hadn't done what they did, she wouldn't even be alive to run. It didn't make him feel any better, though. Didn't mean he didn't want to help. He just wanted to help from as far out-of-sight as possible. Maybe when all this blew over, he'd…

Jake quietly interrupted his thoughts. "Something wrong, big guy?"

Chance shook his head. "Nothing." He took his sandwich out of the microwave and headed to the living room, Jake following close behind.

Jake shrugged. "So what now?"

Chance smirked. "Come on man, I'm not worried about that. I just gotta look for a good place to start, and we'll be set." Before Jake could say anything, Chance raised a hand to stop him. "Hey, do I ever leave you out of anything?"

Jake chuckled. "Sometimes I wish you would." He sat down on the couch, unwrapped his sandwich and took a bite out of it. "Whatever though," he said after swallowing, "I'm in. At least we'll be getting paid for it now."

"Amen to that." Chance sat next to his friend before biting down into his own sandwich with a purr. "Y'know, I think I'll get some pizza later tonight. You might wanna bring Felina and Benny over for that." No way he'd eat a pizza the size he was gonna order on his own. "How is Felina, anyways?"

Jake shook his head. "It's crazy, dude. She's a Captain."

Chance's eyes widened. "_Captain_? No way."

Jake nodded. "Yeah, Captain. And before you ask, it wasn't Commander Feral's idea." He took another bite out of his sandwich. "Being accused of nepotism by his own officers is the last thing he'd need, especially right now."

Chance leaned back on the couch. "Yeah, well who was it? Benny?"

Jake raised his sandwich, as if it were a glass of milk. "Bingo. He's Lieutenant Commander now. Might as well be the guy in charge with that position." He put his sandwich down. "Things are changing sooner than we expected, and here I thought it'd take years. Apparently the Commander realizes the hole he's dug for himself."

Chance smirked. He doubted that. "I guess. But Feral's still the one in charge. Whatever he says goes." He took another bite out of his lunch. "Only reason Felina's not on the spit for the same reason we were is because his brother would probably kick his ass for it." He shook his head. "I don't trust the big guy any farther than I can throw him."

Jake grinned. "Last time you two sparred while we were still in the Enforcers, you could throw him pretty far…"

"Ha. Ha." Chance took another bite out of his sandwich. "Unless he shows up at my door himself to reinstate me, I'm not stopping with my plans." He turned on the TV. "Now if you'll excuse me, Scaredy Kat is on."

Jake rolled his eyes. "Then you won't mind if I take my lunch elsewhere."

Chance shrugged as Jake stood and left. "Just don't get it all over the carpet."

* * *

"The point of running isn't to prove I can, Rob."

"Then why now? Mayor Manx has been undefeated for ten terms. What do you have to bring to the table?"

Calico Briggs tried her best to compose herself. Robert Maine was definitely not on her side as far as news went. Manx probably had money in this whole news organization.

She knew now why they invited her to an interview: to discredit her. She'd have none of it. "I know how he operates. Not to put too fine a point on it, but he operates through attempting to smear his opponents to the point where they can't speak their views." She gave him a subtle nod.

He seemed to pick up on it. "Rest assured, that won't happen in this interview."

It didn't stop happening, of course. Manx had paid these kats off long before she ever came into his office. She did her best to politely volley every question he threw at her back into his face, forcing him to retreat and regroup. The interview ended in less than five minutes, and she was glad to be out of there… except she wasn't. Not quite yet.

"Hey, Ms. Briggs! Wait up!"

She stopped at the exit to the studio, looked over her right shoulder. "Rob. I thought we were done?"

He stopped beside her to catch his breath. "I really enjoyed our interview. A very intellectual debate!"

She smiled. Less of a debate, more of an attempt to attack her from the get-go. "I appreciate you having me on."

He shook his head. "I don't think you understand just how hard those questions were. I wasn't trying to discredit you at all, just keep you honest. Play devil's advocate, you know?"

Callie gave him a good once-over. Dark blue suit, red tie, black fur with white color points. Medium build, probably worked out. Blue eyes. Perfectly cut and styled black hair. He had a heavier coat of fur than others did, but it just made him more charming. At least he kept it well-groomed.

"Well," she said with that same kind smile, "If I were being paid as much as the mayor was paying you all, I'd play devil's advocate all the time."

He sighed. "I knew you'd say that." Robert gave her a pleading look. "Look, I know we're gonna be at odds because of that. He's kept our station running for a long time. But some of us don't like what he's been doing. Most of the older reporters are in with him; they love to put their spin on what his opponent does. But us younger ones want a little more honesty and a new face. So please, you have to keep yourself squeaky clean if you want to beat the Mayor and his dirty campaigning methods, otherwise they'll be all over you." A smile lit his face. "Admitting that you faked your own death, and explaining why, was a good step."

Her eyes narrowed. He wasn't serious. "Is that so?"

The tom raised his paws, as if blocking her stare. "It is! I mean, I heard it from management!" He cleared his throat and tried to mimic a burly voice. "We can't get her on that. Just need to find something else."

Callie's expression softened just a bit as she chuckled. "I guess I should have an interview with those older kats, see if I can't sway them over to my side. If Manx really isn't that popular with everyone, they should be easy to convince as well." She shrugged. "And if not, I have my own evidence to how bad things are."

Robert chuckled. "Nothing like being part of the machine when you're looking for ammunition to use against it."

Callie pointed at him. "Don't take that too far. I wasn't part of the problem; I was trying to find a solution." She shook her head. "I only barely managed to keep this city going."

Robert nodded. "I wish we had more time."

The Mayoral-candidate turned to walk out of the studio at last. "So do I. See you again."

She sighed as soon as she climbed behind the wheel of her car. "Thank God. I felt their stares on me the whole time. Felt like they wanted to eat me."

Angel, who had been by Callie's die after she'd escaped the camera lenses, nodded. "That's _Inside MegaKat City_ for you. Anyone they don't like, they wanna chew apart and spit the bones out."

She checked her iPad. "Luckily, we have an interview with _Kat's Eye News_ after lunch. And this one's gonna be longer than the five minutes they gave you here."

Callie smiled. Ann Gora always went for the truth, no matter who she scooped. It was why she wanted to do an interview with her first, but Snowy had insisted they get this one out of the way. The self-proclaimed pundits had to be satisfied before anyone else.

But now she could be herself. "Let's do it sooner. Ann's a good friend of mine." She pushed in the start button and the engine in her new ride revved up. "Call the studio, Snowy." Callie pulled away from the curb as her friend dialed the new Kat's Eye News studio number.

Snowy looked over at Callie with a raised eyebrow. "They want to talk to you."

The blonde nodded and pressed in a button on her dashboard. A computerized voice confirmed the connection through the car's speakers, and she cleared her throat to speak. "This is Briggs."

"Ms. Briggs, I'm a producer for Kat's Eye News Studios. I hear you want to change your appointment with Ann Gora?"

She nodded. "Yes, that's right. Is there a problem?"

"Not at all. Just need time to get ready. When are you planning on getting here?"

"Within the hour." She ran a hand through her hair. "If I were to be exact, about… fifty minutes."

"That fast?"

Callie nodded. "Yup. Is that acceptable?"

"Of course! We'll set things up right away and be ready for you in half an hour. No need to worry."

The blond she-kat chuckled. "I'll hold you to that. We're on our way now." She hung up without another word and charted a course on her navigator. "Snowy, you need to come inside with me when we get there. I'm putting you in the interview with me."

The redhead's eyes widened. "Please tell me that's a joke."

Callie shook her head. "Nope… sorry. Besides, you need to show your face more often in front of a camera."

Angela groaned. "I was afraid you'd say that…" She ran a hand across her forehead. "I'm no good with cameras, you know that! I always mess up my words, and my hair's never right, and I know I'll be looking at myself later when it gets replayed by some other network, over and over and—Waaaaah!"

Callie stopped the car so hard it sent Angela forward, her seatbelt straining to keep her in place. "You done?"

The redhead glared over at the blonde. "What the hell was _that_?"

Callie was unperturbed. "I asked you a question. Are you finished complaining?"

Angela huffed. "No. But I don't have a choice, do I?"

Callie smiled and got moving again to the sound of other cars honking madly at her. "Nope! Now sit quietly and listen. If you're this camera-shy, I'm not even going to ask how you managed to say six words at the press conference, much less smile and wave like that."

"Well, _you_ put me on the spot…"

She nodded. "And you didn't have time to think. That's right." She sighed, hung a left at the next light. "You're thinking too much. In these situations, the less thinking you do the better."

Angela blinked. "Is that why you do your calm-down thingie? To stop thinking?"

Callie frowned. "One, _stop_ calling it that and two, exactly. Any time before I make a presentation, speech, interview, or whatever, I stop myself from thinking. I could explain how it works, but I'd ramble. So here's the deal… I want you to take a few breaths before we get to the studio. I'll slow down so you have enough time for it."

"You… want me to breathe."

The blonde nodded. "Yup. Don't think about anything else but breathing. Matter of fact; don't think about breathing at all. Just do it." She slowed to twenty-five miles an hour. Good enough for a relaxation session. "Close your eyes if you have to. If you think about something else, don't sweat it. Just re-focus on breathing."

Angela sighed and sat back into her seat. "Whatever you say, boss."

Callie sighed as her friend started to breathe. Good, no more complaints. She could focus on actually getting there for once. Thirty minutes later, she heard a sigh from her right side. "Better?"

Angela looked over at her with a beaming smile. "Better! I can see what you mean by not-thinking!"

Callie nodded. Good, that's right. "Still scared?"

Angela looked down at her hands, still shaking a bit. "Yes. But as long as it's just us and her and one camera person instead of fifteen, I'll be okay."

"Good, because we're almost there." Callie turned into the guest parking lot, found a spot, and shut off the engine. "Straighten yourself out and let's go. We've probably kept them waiting too long."

They exited the parking lot and headed straight into the studio, where the producer was waiting for them. "You guys are just in time. Ann's ready for you in Studio Six. She was about as surprised as I was when you said you were doing this early, fresh off of your other interview."

Callie nodded. "Well, better now than later. Besides, this time I hear I get a full hour."

The producer nodded. "We have an uninterrupted time block just for you guys, commercial-free. Should be enough time to get the message out, right?"

As if that were all she wanted.

The producer led the way toward a dimly-lit, well-appointed room. Three comfortable chairs sat around a cherry oak table, Ann Gora in one of them. Callie smiled as she approached her. Ann never got tired of that green suit of hers. The reporter stood, her face beaming. "You're here awful early! Oh, and you brought Ms. Snowshoe with you! I expect to learn all about your new friend in the next few minutes."

Angela smiled. "Not too much though. Wouldn't want to ruin all the mystery!"

Ann pulled out the two other seats from the table. "Please, make yourselves comfortable. There's only one cameraman here, and he'll try to be as discreet as possible."

They sat and Callie ran her fingers through her hair. Okay, time to introduce herself _properly_ to the citizens of MegaKat City.

* * *

Mayor Manx sat in the living room of his mansion, paws wringing his tail. A terrycloth sash loosely held his teal blue robe together, untying itself as he sat. He didn't notice.

His eyes focused on his television. Ann Gora, Angela Snowshoe, and his opponent for the mayoral seat were all in the same room, sitting in what looked like a living room.

Calico Briggs.

She smiled toward Ann, pretending as if the camera weren't there at all, and speaking rather candidly about her time in the Deputy Mayor's office.

She outright said, point blank, that she did most… no, _all_ of the work. It was why she felt she was qualified for the position; she was already doing it anyway. She then began to list the problems that his personal spending and back-room deals had caused the city, in detail.

Manx groaned. This wouldn't end well.

The phone to the right of the couch rang, red light blinking. He reached over and picked up the receiver. That light told him exactly who it was. "I trust you're watching this?"

"I am. She's got a lot of ammunition on you."

He nodded so fast his toupee threatened to fall off of his head. "I know! I'm done for!"

"No, you're not. Just relax, all right? I'll just politely ask her to back off from her aggressive position. There's no need for any of this. Besides, we'll just throw the usual at her. She can't possibly have enough funding to defend herself. At the very least, she'll try a grassroots campaign. We'll handle that easily."

Manx shook his head. "That's just it. Kats _love_ her! Do you have any idea how many are watching this right now?"

"Half a million, give or take two or three. Yes, I know perfectly well; we're tracking it now. And we will make them hate her by the time this is over. Unless she defends herself in kind, she won't stand a chance in hell. You just take a vacation somewhere; we'll make sure she doesn't take your seat while you're gone."

The mayor shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere. I can help you. I'll beat her in debates, hold rallies, do whatever it takes."

The tom on the other end chuckled. "You do that. Just remember, _everyone_ knows how frail your position is. We're the ones that make that position look _good_. So while you're out kissing kittens, remember who does the grunt work."

Manx nodded, his back sinking into the couch. Maybe this would work out after all. "Don't worry about that. I owe you kats a lot."

"Yeah, you do. But you don't have to pay any of it in money; just keep the law off of our backs so we can do what we do. You remember that we're doing your city a crucial service. When we make money, you make money. Everyone wins." A pause. "I have to leave. The board of directors needs to speak with me. You can either get on the campaign trail or not, but either way you're going to win."

The other end of the line went dead.

Manx sighed as he hung up the phone, looked toward the television again. "I'm sorry it had to end this way, Callie. I really did like you." She had no idea the kind of kats she was about to tangle with. He didn't even have to do anything, and anyone running against him would lose by default thanks to them.

He smiled. Maybe she would do the right thing and give up before things got any worse.

* * *

**Chapter 02: **_**Weighing In**_

Right, well. There goes the second chapter. Shorter than I'd expected, but that's the story for you. I figured I'd start the trouble for at least one she-kat early on, since it wouldn't be a good story without some early form of conflict. Oh trust me; it's not going to be pretty.

That said, I'm not very well-versed in politics. I voted, and I pay attention sure enough, but I'm not very savvy at it. You'll have to excuse any inaccuracies as I muddle my way through this. Still, this isn't the only bad thing out there; more stuff is about to unfold in the next chapter that will get things rolling. I'm also not very good at the crime genre, or any sort of mystery. This is a new track for me, and I'll have to get used to it. Sorry in advance.

With that, please leave a review. I know this is an entirely different kind of story since there are no SWAT Kats, but that doesn't mean we're done with 'em. I gots plans guys, and I'm gonna go through with 'em. But I still need your support in this matter, and support comes in the form of reviews. So please, leave some.

Anyways, many thanks to the guys at TV Tropes for making **Endgame** and **Beyond Alpha** recommended fics! Good to know my attempts to make fan fiction in general better have not failed. Also, Endgame, fully completed, has been categorized as a Doorstopper. I have been tropefied!

For the moment, I'm going to start writing the third chapter of this monstrosity. Hopefully you guys won't have to wait too long for that.

Until next chapter, this is your Slayer.


	3. Chapter 3

East MegaKat City.

An innocuous car sat beneath the yellow light of a street lamp, silently waiting for its next trip out on the streets. Parallel parked between two other cars and secured to the point of no return, it seemed like no one would even think about touching it without leaving a major sign of their passing. Besides, even the street gangs knew when to turn it in.

The pearl-white car was a sweet ride, fully loaded with all the trimmings. High definition stereo system, GPS navigation, twenty inch chrome wheels with active steering, blind spot intervention system, and a turbocharged V6 engine that cranked out three hundred and fifty horsepower. It even had a wireless headset system for receiving phone calls.

That was probably why it also had advanced security. Keyless remote entry, a satellite-based monitoring system that tracked break-ins and accidents alike, an automatic lock that disabled the steering wheel, ignition and brakes, and bullet-resistant windows tough enough to withstand a police shotgun at close range.

No one was getting in this ride without the owner's permission.

Of course, the system picked this time of night to go off, headlights blinking madly and horn blaring like all hell just broke loose. The din forced kats to turn on their apartment lights and stare outside their windows at the scene the car made. After five minutes of this, one of the apartment doors opened, and a tom in his early twenties trudged out to the car in his pajamas, cursing under his breath.

He headed fifty feet down the street toward his car, raised his remote… and just before he pressed the button for the alarm, the vehicle went silent.

The tom raised an eyebrow. "What the…?"

He walked over to his ride, pressed in the button for the internal lights. The cabin lit up, and he peered at the windows. They weren't scratched, dented, or otherwise damaged. His tail twitched as he tried to unlock the doors. The sound of the security system deactivating didn't reach his ears… nor did the sound of the doors unlocking.

The young tom growled. "Shit. I'm getting my money back later today. Advanced technology my ass."

He sighed as he turned the lights off and headed back in. He'd probably get a call from the people that monitored this, asking if something was wrong. They'd fix this, sure enough. Everything would be fine, and he'd drive this piece of crap back to the dealer for a refund. Maybe even a better car.

The thought never reached his mind that this was more than just a broken security system.

* * *

**Kanto the Slayer** presents

A _SWAT Kats_ Fanfiction

_**MegaKat Shield**_

* * *

Felina Feral sat in her office, head in her hands. Eight in the morning and two cups of coffee, and she was still dead tired. She was supposed to go in an hour ago and make sure reports from the night patrols came in on time, but… well, sleep happened.

She smirked. More like Jake happened. They celebrated her promotion all night, and a few hours into the morning besides. Now her coming in late marred her first day in her new position. Not like she cared, though. This was her district now. Besides, she wouldn't do it again anytime soon. Not if it made her feel like this…

Her door opened unceremoniously, the squeaking hinges making her ears ring. She rubbed a paw across her forehead with a groan. "I am not in a good mood. Make it quick."

The officer at the door cleared his throat. "Sorry, just that we got a report of a car alarm going off last night at the Rosen Avenue apartments." He raised his hands, as if defending himself before she could fire off a comment. "Officers were on the scene, but they didn't see anything wrong."

Felina raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

The officer nodded. "No signs of a break-in, nothing obvious that was stolen. Owner of the vehicle figures it's a faulty security system."

The brunette shrugged. False alarms happened all the time. "File it and leave it alone for now."

The officer made his way out of the office, closing the door behind him. Felina sighed and leaned back in her leather swivel chair, propped her black tactical pant-clad legs onto the oak desk, and closed her eyes in an attempt to actually get some decent shut-eye.

The fan overhead spun lazily, trying to keep the room cool, but the heat seemed to invade through the closed and shuttered windows. Felina tugged at the collar of her close-fitting, short-sleeved white t-shirt to let off some steam. Come on sun. Stop fucking with her sleep.

The door opened again and she muttered, "Go away."

"Sorry ma'am, this can't wait."

She cracked open one eye, giving the blue-clad tom that dared to disturb her nap a glare that could kill a fly at twenty yards. "This better be good."

"Got a report in just now, car theft. GPS tracking computer got snatched."

She grunted as she kicked away from the desk, combat boots almost knocking over the picture of her and Marcus Puma. "Get a squad car down there and keep me posted." This better not be another false alarm, or she'd be pissed.

The officer sighed. "Car's already there, but there's a problem." He took his hat off, scratched the top of his head. "No signs of a break-in or any damage. No broken windows, no slashed tires, not even a scratch on the paint."

Felina's eyes widened. Wait. Back up. "You're saying… someone just stole a critical component of a vehicle without even needing to get _inside_?"

The officer shrugged. "That's what it looks like."

Felina stood and pulled a leather shoulder holster out from her desk, withdrew a Glock 29 and two extra magazines from the same drawer. "Tell that squad car to maintain position and relay their coordinates." She pulled on the holster, secured the gun and ammo, snatched her blue and grey trench coat off of the rack to the right of the door as she headed out. She had to see this for herself.

Half an hour passed before she ended up at the cruiser's location, the two officers shining flashlights inside the vehicle in question. She stopped just behind the beat car and stepped out, straightening her coat as she did so. "Tell me what I'm looking for."

One of the officers, a brown-haired she-kat, turned to face her with a shrug. "Got no idea myself, to be honest. We got no evidence of any…"

Felina nodded. "So I heard. Where's the owner?"

The she-kat pointed to the right of the car, toward a queen in her mid-thirties. Auburn hair and blue eyes. Black slacks, white blouse with a green sport jacket over it. Probably about to head for work when this happened. Felina walked over and reached out with her right hand, putting on her best smile. "Hi, my name's Captain Felina Feral. Got time for a few questions?"

The queen took Felina's hand and shook it. "If it'll get me any closer to finding out what happened with my car, I'll tell you anything you want."

Felina nodded and let go, lowering her hand to her side. She reached her left hand into her coat, pulling out a pocket recorder. "Okay, let's start with how you figured this thing was stolen."

The queen lowered her head for a moment, as if trying to think of what happened. "I started my car as usual, like always. Had to get to work; I was running late. When I start up the GPS to get the fastest route to the office, it turns up an error." She shook her head. "It said there was no navigation system installed."

Felina grimaced. "And everything else worked?"

The queen looked up at Felina and nodded. "Yeah, engine, lights, everything."

Felina rubbed her right ear. Okay, that confirms that. "Did you see anyone approach your car around the time of the incident?"

The queen shrugged. "A few kats walked by, sure, but they were the ones I saw every day."

Felina suppressed her growl. She didn't want to interview every damn one who walked along the street. Waste of time. "So you didn't see anyone try to break in, much less walk toward the vehicle."

She nodded. "Yeah, that's right. I'll admit I was in a hurry, though. But I know they didn't steal anything inside, as far as anything on the seats or in the dashboard. Locks worked fine, everything was good, and then this."

Felina nodded again. Kat knew what he wanted, took it. "And no alarms or anything went off during the process?"

The queen sighed. "You don't sound like you believe me."

Felina shook her head. "It's not that, just trying to get all the information I can." She had to admit though, it was pretty hard to swallow. Then again, other stuff happened in this city that defied explanation. Why not someone who could just reach in and grab something?

"Is there something wrong, Captain?"

The queen's voice brought her back to the present. "Just realized something, but I need to confirm it." She looked over her right shoulder, toward the car. "I'm gonna need to bring this vehicle to the lockup, see what makes it tick." She looked back at the queen again, her expression contrite. "You might not see it again."

The queen sighed, a paw running through her red hair. "Story of my life."

Felina squeezed the she-kat's right shoulder. "I'll find some way to make it up to you, I promise." She gave her a business card with the Enforcers' logo on it. "If you need anything from me, you call this number."

With a nod, she turned back toward her car.

"I heard most of it," the female officer said as Felina passed. "You actually believe her?"

Felina shrugged. "Only one way to find out. Call in Burke and Murray. We need this thing towed to impound." CSI would have to take the damn thing apart to find out if the GPS really was stolen from inside, and without a single security alarm tripped. If someone out there really could reach in, unplug the thing, and take it without anyone noticing, she was in deep shit.

Felina sighed as she climbed back into her car and started the engine. So much for her sleep…

* * *

Jake looked over Chance's shoulder with an eyebrow raised. "I don't get what you see in old cars like this. I mean, there are lots of new ones out there that run a hell of a lot better than these old junkers. On top of that, they're loaded with the latest tech."

"See, that's where you're mistaken." Chance shook his head as he searched the online dealership for classic cars. "These cars run smooth as ice, even after all this time. Just need a few touch-ups here and there." He shrugged. "Y'know, new engine, spark plugs, better fuel system, new suspension…"

Jake chuckled. "Yeah, well if you wanna go into all that, we're gonna need a whole new _garage_ to do it in. You find an abandoned one yet?"

Chance looked over his left shoulder. "You really that excited to get started?"

Jake smirked. "Not really, but _you_ sure are. Me? I'd rather sell my designs to more companies." He raised a hand before Chance could get another word in. "Hear me out. The more SWAT teams that have this stuff, the better off everyone's gonna be. Besides, we've tested this gear so much, there's no way it'll fail unless someone does something stupid with 'em."

Chance looked toward the screen again. "I still have a bad feeling about all this, buddy. The more you sell this stuff, the more it could end up in the wrong hands. I say let Pumadyne keep the designs and start charging those guys royalties." Chance chuckled. "Then again, that'd let them know that you're Razor…"

"…Which is the last thing I want. No one needs to know we used to be SWAT Kats." Jake walked over to the bed and sat on the right-side edge, arms folded in front of his chest. "We'd have no end of trouble then."

"Yeah, I know what you—found it!" Chance smiled as he double-clicked on an old Dodge Challenger. "Look at this thing, man. This old kat's kept it in almost mint condition." He grimaced. "Needs a fresh coat of paint, though…"

Jake stood and headed over. "Needs more than just a new coat of paint. That engine is ancient!" He grinned. "I bet you're already thinking of a bigger one now." The slim tom whistled as he looked at the photos taken of the underside. "Damn… this thing needs a new transmission, new brakes, new _everything_. We're talking about an overhaul."

Chance beamed. "Great, huh?"

Jake shook his head. "Working at that scrap yard's gotten to your head. We need to get you outta the house."

Chance swiveled around to face Jake with a frown. "What, working with those two has gotten to my head? Please. I just like working on cars, that's all." He growled. "I'd just rather not have worked _there_ of all places." He stood, stretched his arms and tail, and headed toward the exit to the master bedroom. "I'm gonna go get a snack. You wanna come with?"

Jake shook his head as he climbed into the leather chair in front of Chance's work desk. "Nah, I'm not hungry. Lemme set a few more things up on this thing. Security stuff and all that."

Jake typed in another address and started downloading anti-virus and firewall programs onto Chance's new computer. He frowned when he saw how long it would take. "Well crap, that sucks. But this thing needs it anyway." He started the download and opened a new tab, just to find something to do while he waited. Typing in Callie's name in the search bar, his eyes widened as the screen flooded with results. "Holy crap… It's only been two days since she announced her candidacy, and she's all over the place!"

He moused over to the first result he got, clicked. A page showed up in seconds, and what he saw made him grin. "Oh, this is awesome."

Callie and Alicia's faces were on the front page, with a message about how they were running for Mayor and Deputy Mayor, and their mission statement for the campaign. Several links up top directed visitors to the issues they stood for, and a button for donations glowed at the bottom of the page.

Jake nodded. "Whoever set this up sure didn't waste time."

"Set what up?"

Jake looked toward the door as Chance walked in with a bag of chips. "This web page here. Check it out!"

Chance walked over, peered over Jake's shoulder. "Damn, this thing looks like _you_ set it up! She's got someone as good with tech on her team as you."

"I dunno about that, but whoever designed this knew what they were doing." He moused over the links at the top and each one lit up as the cursor passed over it. "Seriously, this is good stuff." Jake scrolled down to the donate button and clicked. "I'm gonna help out."

Chance nodded. "We said we would, after all. Might as well start now." The big tom sat on the bed and reached into the bag of chips. "I think she's got a good shot. I mean, kats can't be that stupid to think Mayor Manx actually did something good for them."

Jake shrugged as he put in his information. "I dunno about that. Some of 'em are easy to trick. Others just don't care. I mean, think about it. Mayor Manx was in office for ten terms. You'd think by now that everyone would know what he's about." He shook his head. "Not enough people do the research on who they vote into office."

Chance chuckled. "Good thing the two of us don't have to. We already know how bad things are." He pulled his hand out and munched on the chips he'd snagged from the bag. "But I see what you mean. Plus, not everyone's going to be happy with a changing of the guard. I mean, anyone that supported Manx is gonna be going down with him if he gets kicked out of office."

Jake's eyes narrowed. "That means they'll do anything they can to keep him in." He looked over his right shoulder. "It's gonna get messy real fast. There's no telling who's behind Mayor Manx. We can't just sit here, bud."

Chance raised an eyebrow. "You don't think they'd go so far as to actually _hurt_ Callie, do you?" His face took on a worried cast.

Jake turned back to the screen. "I don't know. I'm just saying he's got a lotta kats behind him. There's no telling who they are or what they're capable of. But I wouldn't put it past 'em at all." He finished entering his information and clicked on the send button at the bottom of the form. "That's why we can't just sit here."

Chance headed over to the computer with a scowl. "Yeah, you're right. We need to check these kats out before some major shit goes down. Not like Callie has to know, of course…"

Jake nodded. "No, she doesn't. Now get over here and donate." He grinned as the counter below the donate button continued to tick up. "Sure looks like everyone else is doing it."

* * *

Calico Briggs rode the elevator up toward her floor of the apartment complex downtown, her expression worn. The web site launch was a success, but the celebration afterward tired her out. She leaned against one of the walls with a sigh. At least she got to get interest going in her campaign. Hell, kats were even donating already! She smiled. Good to know someone cared.

She shrugged, hefting the backpack slung over her shoulders, a new high-end laptop inside. Damn thing was heavy for something so small. She tugged at one of the sleeves of her white silk blouse, tucked into a pair of light blue capris. Her white heels clicked against the tile floor of the elevator as she stepped away from the wall.

Ding. Her stop.

She stepped toward the doors as they opened… and the back of her neck tingled as soon as she exited the lift. Callie stood stock still as the elevator doors closed behind her.

"Too quiet," she muttered.

She checked either side of the hallway, as if expecting someone to jump out at her. Sure, it was late, but usually there were little noises even at this hour. Her ears twitched for any sign of those familiar sounds as she made her way toward her apartment slower than usual.

The closer she got to her door, the more she heard the sound of garbled speech. Her eyes narrowed. No one was supposed to even have access to her apartment at night besides her. Her hand reached for the doorknob, tried to turn it. She heard the click of an unlocked door. Shit! Callie shoved open the door and stormed through the entrance.

A tom in a slate grey Armani suit was sitting on her couch, watching the news. He stood and turned to face her as soon as the doorknob banged against the wall guard. "Good evening, Ms. Briggs."

"You have _thirty seconds_ to explain why the hell you picked my lock and turned on my TV before I throw you out on your ass and call the Enforcers."

The tom chuckled. "Fiery as usual."

Callie stopped next to the table, arms folded in front of her. "Your time started five seconds ago."

The powerful Bengal tiger shrugged his massive shoulders. "Just here to congratulate you on the launch of your campaign for the Mayoral office." He raised the glass of milk in his right hand. "Cheers."

She raised an eyebrow, ears twitching. What the hell? "Sorry, who are you again?"

He took a sip from the glass. "My name doesn't matter. Just know that I represent a group of investors who are highly interested in the outcome of this race. They sent me to meet the newest contender, see what they were made of." He looked back at the television with a nod. "You show up well for the camera."

Callie sighed. "Just explain yourself before I call the cops." Hell, she might do that anyway.

He turned back toward her, his expression grim. "Straight to the point then. All right, here's the situation." He walked toward her, swirling the milk as if it were fine wine. "I'm here to warn you that this is a very dangerous road you're headed down. A lot of kats are pulling for Mayor Manx to win this. They're not going to take an upset victory lightly."

She smirked. "And let me guess, those are the kats you represent, right?"

He shook his head. "I never said that."

Callie shrugged. "You didn't have to." The break-in was all she needed to know. "The warning is appreciated, but I can take care of myself. I've been in politics before."

The tom shrugged. "Not like this." He stopped just a few feet in front of her. "I suggest you take this seriously. If I were you, I'd take back the position of Deputy Mayor and pretend I never spoke about running at all. Besides, you were doing enough good in that position. Why ask for more?"

Callie wanted to bite one of his ears off. No one intimidated her. "Because someone needs to change things before they fall off a cliff. I'm betting you know damn well the direction this city's headed." She strode toward him, poked his massive chest. "Hell, I'd bet money your investors are part of the problem!"

The tom growled softly. "I don't like what you're implying."

She nodded. "I know. I could give less of a shit than I do right now." Callie glared up at him. "You break into _my_ house, use _my_ things without asking, and you expect me to just _listen_ to what you have to say?" She bared her teeth, fists clenched at her sides and hairs on her tail standing on end. "Well then you already know my answer."

He smirked. "Well my backers do not. I'd like to hear it from you…"

"Get out. _Now_."

The tom shrugged. "Don't say I didn't warn you." He put the glass down onto the table and left, almost shoving her aside with his right shoulder. "Good night, Ms. Briggs."

She tried not to wrinkle her nose as he strode past, his cologne invading her senses. His sinister aura pressed on her even as he walked out the door, and she could still feel him halfway down the hallway. As soon as he entered the elevator, she headed for the door and slammed it, hard.

The nerve of that asshole!

She trudged toward the table again, snatched the half-full glass of milk from it. She had to call security and tell them what happened. This was the last time he'd ever come in here like that. How the hell did he get in, anyway? No damn way he knew the code. She'd memorized it and thrown away the paper she'd written it on.

She headed over to the coat closet near the front door, opened it up to reveal the control box. The usual green backlight for the key pad had turned red. She checked the digital readout and saw nothing on the display. Oh, shit.

Callie moved to pull her cell phone out of her left pocket. Before she pressed even one number, the key pad turned green again and the control box happily beeped, the digital readout displaying the words, 'system armed'.

"Damn you." She put her phone away, pulled the cover off, growled at what she saw. A small circular disc, two inches across, lay right on top of the circuit board. She didn't have to wonder what happened if she pulled it off. Callie removed the metal disc and put it in a side pouch of her backpack. She'd show it to Jake first thing tomorrow. He probably knew about the problem by now anyway.

She replaced the cover with a sigh, closed the closet and headed for the kitchen, looking around for any damage on the way. No broken dishes. Couch wasn't shredded. TV, phone, still working. She dumped the milk into the drain and took a deep, slow breath as she put the glass into the sink. Callie retreated into the part of her that didn't have to think, felt her senses spread throughout the house.

Guest bathroom was all right, nothing damaged in there. Bedroom across the hall from that was fine. Master bedroom—her eyes snapped open. "My gun!"

She dashed across the carpet, up the short flight of stairs, almost rammed the door open with her right shoulder. Bastard better not have made off with her gun! She fished through the drawers, throwing clothing on the floor, looking for any sign of—there it is! She sighed as she pulled a M1911 pistol out of the dresser. Thank God!

She gave the weapon a good once-over. Nothing damaged, still safe. Good. The nickel plating shone in the lights of the bedroom as she felt the comforting weight of the gun in her hands. Why the hell did she leave this here? If anyone took this, she wouldn't have much of a defense.

She slid a finger along the threads at the end of the six inch barrel. Something was still missing… She snapped her fingers. Compensator. She searched the drawer again until she found the extension she was looking for. Callie screwed it on, looked at the gun again with a nod. Much better.

Her shoulders complained as she put the gun back into its resting place. Stupid backpack. Callie shrugged it off of her shoulders, rolled them to try and relax. She stood and made her way back downstairs toward the living room. Callie took one last good look around with a sigh before she headed toward the couch and flopped onto it. What a way to end a good evening…

Callie fished her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed a certain number. Ten seconds after she dialed, Callie heard Felina on the other end. "Felina, it's me. Someone just picked my lock. Saw him watching my TV as soon as I got in." She shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Nothing got stolen; he just came in and talked." She headed over to the couch, sat down. "He warned me about running for Mayor."

She sighed, her back sinking into the couch. "Yeah, basically. Thought he could intimidate me into quitting the race." She smirked. "Not likely." Callie winced at the ache in her shoulders. "Well you can put a few officers here if you want, but I don't think that'll stop him. He was a big kat, about six foot two, roughly two hundred and twenty pounds, give or take." She coughed at the lingering smell in the air. "Wears some heavy cologne, too."

Callie grimaced. "Look, don't worry about me. I can handle myself. You're the one that taught me how to shoot, after all. He comes around again, I'll put one in his shoulder." And maybe one of his legs to boot. She chuckled. "Felina, relax! I'm gonna be okay. Besides, you have things more important to worry about than just me. I see you have a case going on already."

They chatted it up about the string of car break-ins with no real explanation as to how they happened before Callie yawned. Yeah, time to sleep. She said her goodbyes and hung up before stretching her arms above her head. She had half a mind to sleep right here on the couch. Her shoulders reminded her of just how bad an idea that was.

Besides, this was the last place she wanted to be right now.

Callie turned the TV off and headed back to the master bedroom. She surveyed the damage her frantic search had done with a shake of her head. Just another mess to clean up. Fuck it. She'd do it tomorrow. She picked out pieces of clothing from the piles, stuffed them into her backpack. Snowy would let her stay at her place for sure. She hoped so, anyway. She pulled out the M1911 from its drawer along with two magazines and put them in a separate pouch. No leaving that behind again.

She hefted the backpack onto her shoulders, cut off the ceiling lights via a switch to the right of the entrance, and headed for the front door. She'd have to tell everyone about this incident in the morning. The team needed to know so they could get ready for whatever he'd do next. Callie opened the front door and headed out, locking it behind her. She heard the beep of the security system arming itself again. Not like that'd stop anyone from breaking in again with that kind of technology.

She headed back toward the elevator and pressed in the button for the garage. If this tom though this would steer her away, he had another thing coming. All he'd done was lock her in for the long haul. Her eyes narrowed, lips tightening into a hard line. She'd show him and the faceless cowards he was friends with how bad of an idea it was to piss her off.

She only had to run. And win.

* * *

**Chapter 03—**_**Meet the Enemy**_

So yeah, that's that for that. Now what to put in here for filler…

Oh, I know!

Big thanks go out to my reviewers, especially the returning **EastsideGeorgiaBoy**. Thanks a ton for reading Endgame! I sure appreciate the support you and the others have been giving so far. Trust me; this one's going to be just as huge. I'll try to make it more sophisticated, though. Less war story, more cop show. Now that doesn't mean I'm going soft on the action, but I will try to stick to the message of the original series a bit more.

As for **Grey Dog**… I still think I'm doing terrible on the crime genre. I'm no good at detective stories. But thanks for the encouragement! I'll try to put in lots of perpetrators doing dirty stuff, and plenty of political muck for Callie to wade through. Also, you WILL be seeing the one villain I didn't knock off in Endgame. I left him alive for a reason…

Now then, on to the theme song! I haven't really picked one yet; there are so many good ones. But I'm closing in on it, and I'll post it in my profile once I get it set in stone. Just take note, I'm not gonna do a whole frickin' _soundtrack_ for this like in my last SK fic. There will only be one theme song for this whole thing. Don't worry; it'll be one you can easily rock out to.

Okay, onward to the next chapter! More trouble, more criminals, more bite for your buck!

Until next chapter, this is your Slayer.


	4. Chapter 4

Felina strode into Enforcer Headquarters, the hem of her officer's coat trailing behind her. She waved to the receptionist, wasted no time in making her way toward the elevator and scanning her card through the reader once inside. The second level of the garage, only accessible via the main elevator, held the vehicle impound, where cars recovered from theft and stuck with hefty traffic violations were stored.

The elevator opened to fluorescent lights and concrete walls, and she headed straight for the evidence area. Her eyes widened at what she saw before her. "Well, I did say take it apart…"

CSI had cut the car from yesterday in half just to get inside and find out what was missing. The investigators, clad in orange jump suits, turned toward her, some of them with wide grins on their faces. One of them took off his goggles as she approached. "Yeah, well when we do something down here we do it big." The tom walked toward her with an iPad, the screen displaying a wire frame image of the car they'd just destroyed. "Take a look at the section in red."

Felina took the computer and checked the location the techie pointed at. "So is this the place where our kat broke in?"

He shook his head. "Couldn't determine that, but we did find something missing that just about every make and model of this car is equipped with."

Felina's eyes narrowed. "The GPS navigation computer."

The investigator nodded. "Yup, that's the thing."

She bowed her head, the gears in her mind spinning. Okay. That ruled out any possibility of a malfunction. Someone reached in, unplugged the damn thing, and pulled it out. Felina nodded. "That's all I needed to know." She turned on her heel and walked away, the CSI agent trailing her. "I'm authorizing a warrant for the seizure of that other car. Where is it?"

The tom shrugged. "I wouldn't be surprised if it was at the dealership's garage by now, getting checked out."

"Well, find out which one so I can get some kats out there." They entered the elevator again and she pressed in the button for the top floor as the doors closed. The tom hit a separate button for his stop. "That vehicle is now officially evidence. I don't want it tampered with any more than our perp already has."

The tech nodded. "I'm on it, Captain Feral."

Felina continued upward as the investigator got off at the main lobby. She grimaced as she reminded herself of the other reason she'd come here.

She figured this would happen to Callie when she started her bid for the Mayor's seat, but not this soon. Who else was after her? What were they planning? Felina shook her head. No telling unless she could get this guy and grill him. Too bad she didn't have the tags and license plates of his car. That'd make things a hell of a lot easier.

But at least she had a description, and that was worth something.

The elevator chimed as the lift stopped at the top floor, and she headed straight for the Commander's office. Once he heard all this, he'd probably spare a few officers to help. That was, if there were any to spare. They were so damn shorthanded they had to cut back on neighborhood patrols. If her uncle couldn't or wouldn't deploy anyone…

She shook her head. He would. He had to.

Felina pushed open the double doors and stepped through. Benjamin Lynx looked up at her from a brand new desk that someone recently added to the room. "Felina! What brings you up here?"

Felina saluted. "I came to talk to the Commander. Any idea where he is?"

Benny looked over to the vacant leather chair that Ulysses Feral usually occupied. "He's over at City Hall, trying to wring some funding from the Council. Gotta have some cash to run recruiting ads and all that." He looked toward her again. "I can take care of what you need for now, though. What's up?"

Felina tried to school her face into a blank mask. "We have a situation. I need to borrow some officers for a security detail at Westbrook Apartments."

Benny leaned forward, propping his elbows on the desk and resting his head in his hands. "How many are we talking?"

She shrugged. "At least eight."

He sat silent for a few seconds before nodding. "Alright, let's hear it."

* * *

**Kanto the Slayer** presents

A _SWAT Kats_ Fanfiction

_**MegaKat Shield**_

* * *

Jake glared at the two-inch disc between his fingers, as if doing that could tell him how it worked. He put it down next to the keyboard with a sigh and brought his paws back to the keys. He had plugged the control box that was the main part of Callie's security into a USB port on his computer, and now a console on the screen showed all activity inside the house for the past seventy-two hours.

Jake shook his head as he spotted the power failure from last night. "Great. Now I'm gonna have to make an alarm for that." He moused over to the yellow reset button, clicked it, and the control box beeped twice. "New keypad code, too. What a pain in the ass." He opened up another window and lines of code stretched out before him. He reached for a bottle of water to his left, took a sip. "Well whatever. Might as well get started."

Jake scrolled down to the one line of code he was looking for and started typing, his fingers flashing across the keyboard. He reached over for another sip of his water bottle when the phone rang. Jake's right paw snaked around the bottle and snatched the phone off of its base. "Yeah?"

"You must be busy. You only answer like that when you're busy."

He chuckled. "Yeah, kinda a habit there, Callie." He leaned back in the swivel chair and grabbed the water bottle with his left paw. "You okay now?"

"Yeah, I'm here with Snowy now, heading into the office. Any luck on the security system?"

Jake sighed. "I had to reset the code. You're gonna have to memorize it all over again." He took a swig from the bottle. "But I'm busy making it so that if the power gets cut on the control box without the batteries failing, the alarm will still trigger if the system is armed. No more worrying about this little thing here."

He heard a sigh on the other end. "I appreciate it, Jake." A pause. "How's Chance?"

The slim tom hesitated. They did agree she didn't have to know what they were doing… "Chance is busy with trying to open his own garage. He's trying to buy this old clunker and turn it into a street machine. No idea why when he's got enough cash to get a new one, but I guess everyone needs a hobby." He took another sip. "So how's the campaign going?"

"Slow. We're trying to recruit volunteers to knock on doors and get the citizens involved, but we aren't having too much luck so far. Only good thing is that we're starting to raise money like crazy. Over the past few hours, we've gotten a ton of support and e-mails from kats visiting the web site."

"Holy crap, really?" Jake beamed. "That's awesome! How much so far?"

"I'm not sure, I need to check again. But last count, it was five hundred thousand and still rising."

Jake whistled. "That's a lotta green." He put the water bottle down and pressed in the loudspeaker button, putting the phone back on its base as he leaned forward and started typing again. "So what's your first move? I mean, you need to do something about the threat on you and all that."

"Nothing much I can do about that for the time being. I don't even know who this tom is. All I can do is push on until I can find out. I'm preparing a video speech to put on the site, and just about anywhere else I can upload it. I'm gonna show up on David Litterbin tomorrow evening."

Jake's eyes widened. "No joke?" He chuckled as his fingers continued to tickle the keyboard. "Then I'll have to force Chance to come over and watch that one. Definitely recording it, too." He stopped typing and peered at the screen. "I'm almost done here, Callie. Just need to do some error-checking. I'll let you know when it's ready to go."

They said their goodbyes and Jake hung up before giving the new lines of code he'd entered a good run-through. He pushed away from the desk and headed for the bed with a yawn. "I didn't know writing this stuff could be so tiring." He untucked the black tank top from his dark green board shorts and flopped onto the bed. "Not much else to do right now anyways but sleep."

He closed his eyes and let the program go through the motions. Fifteen minutes later, he heard a short chime from the speakers and opened his eyes, headed back toward the screen. Jake nodded at the message he saw. "Good, it's ready. Just need to enter in a new code and we're set."

He saved his work and closed the programming window, moused over to the control panel and clicked on the tab marked security. A key pad similar to the one on the control box showed up and he entered in a new four-digit code. After entering it a second time to confirm, he set the delay timer to the usual five seconds before saving the settings and closing the program. The control box let out a happy beep, and the digital display flashed 'ready'.

Jake smirked. "Let's see him try to get past it now."

He unplugged the cable and headed for the dresser to the right of the bed, against the wall. "All I gotta do now is get to Callie's place and install the thing. Good thing she gave me a copy of her door key." He fished out a black t-shirt with the Wildcats basketball team logo on it and reached under the bed for his shoes.

Jake looked around as he laced up. He turned the guest bedroom into his own personal work space since moving in with Felina. Just about everything in here was new. The black wooden dresser in front of him, the drawer he'd pulled out to get his pants from still open. The wooden desk to the left, his full tower computer underneath with a printer that doubled as a scanner next to the secondary monitor, keyboard in front of the main screen.

He stood and turned toward the desk, pulling out the spare key to the front door, his wallet, and the key to Callie's apartment. Then he grabbed the security control box and made his way to the exit, past the wall-mounted flat screen TV right next to it with a cabinet for a game system and a satellite receiver underneath it.

Jake headed for the front door, grabbing his denim jacket from the closet as he passed it. He headed out of the apartment, toward the elevator, down to the garage and climbed into a black Lamborghini Murciélago. Jake smiled as he closed the door and turned the key. "Sorry Felina, I had to drive this just once."

He pulled out of the parking spot and within ten minutes, he was on his way to Westbrook Apartments.

* * *

The Wharf.

The powerful tiger in the grey business suit drove his way through the docks, headed toward a nondescript warehouse. He checked his side mirror every few minutes to see if anyone tailed him, but time after time, he saw nothing. The tom drove his dark brown Explorer through the open warehouse doors and cut the engine off once he was inside.

He stepped out and smoothed out his jacket before heading toward a cargo elevator on the south side of the building, securing his vehicle before doing so. Instead of a metal grate, a pair of sliding reinforced steel doors secured this elevator, as well as a card reader to the right, just above the call button for the lift. He reached into the pockets of his jacket, fished out a blank card with only a metallic strip on one side, and swiped it through the reader. The light on the swipe turned green as the call button lit, and he pressed it in.

Twenty seconds later, the elevator doors opened and he stepped into the cabin, both sets of doors closing behind him. Soon they opened again, revealing a concrete hallway with fluorescent lighting on the ceiling. A pair of armed kats wearing tactical gear and body armor stood to either side of the doors, saluting as the tom walked through.

He paid them no mind.

The tiger took the first left he came across, passed another pair of guards, and stopped at another set of double doors. He waited a few seconds as a camera above the doors peered down at him. A light above the lens turned green and the doors opened to reveal a technological setup that rivaled most military installations.

Kats sat at their stations, fingers tapping on keys as information flew across their screens. More guards patrolled the room, armed to the teeth and wearing grey fatigues along with their black gear. A steel staircase led up to the second floor, where server databases lined the walls. He headed through a door at the far right hand side of the room, across from the foot of the stairs.

Thirteen Kats stood from their seats around a board room table as he entered. "Sit back down. There's no need for that."

They sat as he headed toward the only empty seat left and sat, his back sinking into the plush leather. "You know the situation by now. We have a new insurgent candidate for this election cycle." He looked around the table. "Every time one comes up, it's a threat to the people we're working for. If Manx loses, their bottom line falls out and shareholders will be pissed off to no end. Our job is to make sure he wins."

He cleared his throat and turned toward the first chair to his left. "What do we have on Briggs?"

The tom tugged at the collar of his dark blue dress shirt, his expression grim. "We got nothing."

The tiger raised an eyebrow. "…Nothing?"

"Yeah, nothing. Zero, nada. She's clean as a whistle and innocent as a kitten." The tom sighed. "Only thing we had on her was the faked death, and now that she's put that out in the open, we lost it. We can't use her connection with the SWAT Kats, either. They quit their day job, and while they had it, they outmatched the Enforcers by a mile."

He shrugged. "Just means we'll have to make something, or make Manx look good for the press." He turned toward the she-kat next to him. "Let me hear some good news about our funds, at least."

The blond nodded. "We're more than good on that. We have two hundred million to blow on this one, not counting expenses on keeping our tech running. Advertising is already set up and ready to go. Since we can't put up a negative attack that'll stick, I have a few positive ones that'll put a good word out for our Mayor."

The tiger smirked. "Not like he's any good…" He shook his head. "Doesn't matter, though. He does good business with our backers, so we keep him in office." He looked at the other end of the table. "What about the Enforcers?"

The tom with a buzz cut shook his head, wearing the same gear as the guards. "They have no clue. Too busy with another case."

"Good. Keep it that way." The tiger leaned back in his chair. "I also want someone tailing Briggs and her running mate, that she-kat Angela. Find out where they're holding their operations. Soon as we get that, I want you to organize a strike team and sabotage the place. I don't want a single piece of equipment left standing." He grimaced. "Blow the damn building apart if you have to."

The tom at the end of the table nodded. "Copy that."

The tiger closed his eyes, propped his feet on the table, and chuckled. "This is a real shame, you know. At the end of the day, I like her. She's smart and compelling, a serious competitor. If only she'd listened to my warning earlier." He lifted a paw and pointed toward the exit to the meeting room. "Go do your jobs."

The kats filed out of the room to get to their assignments while the tiger stayed behind, still relaxed. "Everything… is going according to plan."

* * *

Calico Briggs and Angela Snowshoe stepped into the office side by side, a pair of bulletproof glass doors sliding open as they approached the motion sensor just above them. Kats were already hard at work, sending e-mails and requests for donations. Two election posters were on the far wall of the space, showing different slogans and logos. She looked to her right, toward the screen displaying the seven districts of MegaKat City, each with a different color. A percentage floated over each region, showing the results of a recent poll her campaign manager finished with. She nodded and kept on walking forward, toward the round table in the center of the room with nine plush chairs around it.

Angela clapped her hands to get some attention. "Time to wake up, Kats! Huddle!"

A few kats in business attire and one she kat with a black t-shirt, studded leather bracelets, a leather pencil skirt and Goth boots looked toward the noise, heading for the table once they saw their bosses.

Callie looked around at the team her running mate had put together. "Ladies and gentlemen, not less than eight hours ago, I had a break-in at my apartment."

A grim silence fell over the table.

"A tiger in a fancy suit told me that we were fools on a hopeless quest, to give up while I still had the chance." Callie grimaced. "I take that as a direct threat to not only this campaign, but my life, and I won't take it lying down. The Enforcers have agreed to increase security where I live, but it's only a minor deterrent." She lifted her head slightly. "I want to know where Manx gets his funding, and I want to know five minutes ago. It's not gonna be easy, but someone needs to do it." Callie nodded. "But for the moment, let's focus on what's going on now."

The she-kat in black bared her teeth. "Soon as we find out who threatened you, I'm kicking his ass."

Callie chuckled. "Let's leave that to the Enforcers, Penny. I don't want anyone here put in the lockup." She straightened her tie and turned toward a tom in a brown suit, his brown hair somewhat messy. "Eddie, Is the phone bank set up?"

He nodded. "A hundred phones fired up and ready to go. We just need kats to sit there and use them."

Callie turned toward another kat in a blue suit with a silk scarf tied loosely around her neck. "Sophia, what's the status on those volunteers? Any new ones yet?" She damn sure hoped so. They needed them.

The leopardess ran a hand through her black hair. "I have a few kats willing to drum up some support. Hopefully next week we'll have something to talk about as far as that goes, but for now we only have the ones that you already see at those computers there."

Callie sighed. "Guess it's too early to hope for much on that." She looked at another kat with a soft brown leather jacket over his white dress shirt and red tie. He'd slicked back his silver hair into a neat ponytail and his cold blue eyes seemed to stare through her. "Marc, finances. I wanna know how much we have and how much we can spend."

He shrugged. "It's getting larger, but we're only at about a million for now. We need to organize some fundraisers, pronto, or else we'll be behind forever. At the most, we can spend half that on advertising and half on maintenance of equipment." He looked toward Angela. "Having your running mate make her office a base of operations does save us from spending it on finding a place, though."

Angela grinned. "I'm just glad I can help!"

Callie nodded. "I'll have to pay you back for it one day." She turned toward the she-kat in black. "Penny, tech report."

Penny pulled the single pink streak in her jet-black, shoulder-length hair away from her right eye before she spoke. "Nothing to report, boss. It's clear as far as I can see. Website's solid, no attacks on our database, firewall's keeping the bed bugs out. I took the liberty of putting ads for the site all over the place, so we should get more traffic before the end of the day."

Callie smiled. Good. More traffic meant more hits, which meant more donations. "Excellent. We're on the right track." She turned toward a tom with a pair of glasses, his gray short-sleeved button-up shirt complemented with a white neck tie. "Have we figured out which poster we're gonna use yet? I still see two of them up there."

The tom pushed his glasses further onto his nose. "They're both good to me. It just depends on what message you want to send. I was actually waiting for you to come in and pick one, so…"

Callie stood, headed for the 11x17 posters. Angela walked beside her as they approached the two different designs. The one to the left had a starlit background with the two of them in profile, facing to the right. The slogan above their heads read 'Restore Hope' in bold white letters. The other was a blue and white cloud scene, full figures of the candidates standing amidst the white tufts. Above them were the words 'Dare to Dream' in black cursive. Both had a message to vote for them, as well as the campaign's website.

Angela pointed toward the clouds. "I like that one. Looks like we're floating."

Callie nodded. "I like the message more," she said under her breath. "I've already got ideas for it." She could see herself saying those words in a speech. Restore Hope… sounded too cliché. She nodded and turned back to the table, pointing behind her at the cloud poster. "That one."

The graphic designer nodded. "Good choice! I figured you'd like that one more, just wanted to confirm."

Callie chuckled. "Glad you know what you're doing." She walked back toward the table and sat. "We have three months to defeat Mayor Manx's political machine. I want everyone to be ready for whatever our opposition throws at us." She leaned forward just enough to drive her point home. "And I mean anything."

Everyone at the table nodded.

She leaned back and shrugged. "Any questions?" The table remained silent. Callie clapped her hands with a grin. "As you were!"

Her staff got up from the table, but Callie tugged on Angela's sleeve to keep her from standing. She leaned over to whisper into her right ear. "Snowy, where'd you get Penny from?"

The redhead chuckled. "Yeah, I figured you'd ask about her. She's kinda weird, but a brilliant web designer and programmer. I got to know her from an internship here at the firm. She showed up at the interview in this crazy lacy getup, all black, like she was attending a funeral or something."

Callie looked over at the black-haired she-kat, headphones in her black-tipped ears. "I want to get to know her."

Angela raised an eyebrow. "You serious?"

Callie smirked. "When am I not? Besides, when you dress like that you're sure to attract some kind of attention. I want to know why she does it."

The redhead rubbed her chin. "You think it's a problem?"

Callie shook her head. "No, Snowy. I think it's fascinating." She stood and headed for the exit to the office. "I'm hungry. You wanna come with?"

Angela's eyes widened. "You just ate at six in the morning!"

Callie looked over her right shoulder. "And now I'm hungry again, what's your point?" She walked through the glass doors with her friend in tow. "Besides, I need to clear my head."

Snowy chuckled. "Whatever you say, boss."

* * *

Chance parked the old Challenger in the garage, the pink slip for the car in the right pocket of his jeans. The faded, burnt orange paint peeled in places and the seats were a bit worn, but it was his. He'd have to gut this damn thing like a fish and replace just about everything, but it'd be worth it.

Chance smiled as he pulled the key fob out of the steering column and opened the driver's side door. He looked at his new ride one last time before he closed and locked it up, put the key in his left pocket and headed for the elevator. He'd have to replace just about every part with something new, and he'd have to start looking as soon as he got inside. No time to waste.

Chance reached his floor and made his way to his front door, fishing the key ring out of his pocket again. After he opened the door and walked through, kicked his shoes off at the tile floor and closed the door, he headed for the kitchen counter where a red light beeped on his phone's answering machine. Chance pressed in the button as he listened to the recordings.

Chance grinned as he heard a message from Jake. So he was finished with the upgrades to Callie's security. Good. He needed to know about the car. Later, though. Chance headed for the master bedroom, shrugging out of his leather jacket as he walked down the hallway. Time to go to work.

He turned on the lights and draped his jacket over the back of the swivel chair, then sat down at his computer and fired it up. Seconds later, he was online, looking for a brand-new engine. That old V8 had to go, first and foremost. He needed a new battery too.

A thought came up during his search, one that made him smack himself on the forehead. Stupid! He had other business to take care of besides this! Chance opened up another tab in his browser and started the search for Mayor Manx's new friend, the one that had the balls to break into Callie's apartment. He didn't really have a name to go off of, so he entered his description into the search bar instead.

He didn't quite get lucky.

Chance growled as results flooded his screen. "Shit." It'd take him hours to wade through all this crap to find what he was looking for. Chance sighed and started from the top. Might as well get it over with.

He searched every shred of every result he could click on, but nothing turned anything up. It was as if this guy was invisible. Then, after an hour and a half, something caught his eye. A military record that had the exact description of the kat in question.

He was a big-chested, broad-shouldered bastard of a Bengal tiger, tall as a redwood and mean-looking as hell. He began reading the file and grimaced at what he saw.

Donovan was his name, no last name given. Former CIA spook who participated in black ops. Well, that explained how he could pick a lock and disable a security system so easily. Chance read through the rest of the file. He specialized in clandestine entry and disrupting the actions of enemy governments. The Agency disbanded his unit after a mission was botched. Probably his fault, but no telling whose exactly.

Chance's eyes narrowed. Was this guy behind Mayor Manx's campaigns all this time? Who else was he working with?

Chance bookmarked the page, copied the address, and opened up his e-mail. He sent the link to Jake and copied Felina on it. He'd probably gone underground by now, but if he ever turned up again…

The big tom looked at the file again, glaring at the photo. Once he got his hands on this guy, he'd make sure he regretted threatening Callie for the rest of his life.

Chance closed the tab with a sigh and started to look for parts again… But it lost its joy. He pushed away from the work desk and headed for the dresser, opened a drawer and fished out his night shirt and a pair of grey sweat pants. Not like there was anything else to do. Maybe tomorrow he'd get something done with his new ride. For now, all he wanted to do was try to get ready for the long haul.

After ten minutes in the bathroom, he came out ready to go to sleep. Chance turned out the lamp on the desk, the screen of the computer his only light as he made his way to the bed. No telling where that tom was now, but he'd show up sooner or later. The question was, would they be ready for him?

Chance tried to close his eyes and sleep, uncertainty tainting his rest. Who knew what else this guy could do? They'd have to be ready to react to anything he pulled out. It sucked, but there was nothing else they could do right now.

And that pissed him off.

* * *

**Chapter 04—**_**Battle Lines**_

I couldn't think of anything else about this new villain that was a reasonable explanation for his actions. I sure hope this adds to the intrigue, because I had no other ideas to complicate the issue further. Also, if I revealed him too early, let me know.

Penny though, I had a great idea for. See I'm an NCIS fan, and I love Abby. I figured; why not make a character like her, except with a pink streak in her hair and no pigtails or braids?

Remember guys, dark is not evil.

But anyways, time marches on!

I haven't checked the story stats for this in a few days, so I'm a little nervous as to how this is being received. You guys need to leave reviews so I can know what's wrong and fix it. Or what's right, and go with that. Either way, click that shiny review button down there and leave your comments!

Anyways, I found a theme song. Check my profile in the next few days to find out which song won the search. I think it's a fitting track for this series, but if you don't… Well, that's unfortunate.

Okay, so it's four in the morning and I need sleep. Bad. So I'm going to get it, and I'll see you guys later.

Until next chapter, this is your Slayer.


	5. Chapter 5

Commander Ulysses Feral walked out of City Hall with a manila folder tucked under his right arm, his expression stony and his tail nearly dragging the pavement. Feral climbed into his cruiser in the guest parking lot, closed the driver's side door, and opened the folder as he settled into the seat. His eyes scanned over the budget review they gave him twice before he carelessly tossed the folder to the passenger's side with a sigh of resignation. Papers spilled onto the floor mat as he started the engine.

"I guess that's the best they can do, considering… It is an election year, after all." He pulled out of the parking lot and headed back toward headquarters. "I'll have to wait two whole weeks before actually getting the funds, though. That's too long."

He drove into the garage just underneath Enforcer Tower, parked in his spot, and turned off the engine. The Commander gathered the papers back into the folder and took it with him as he trudged over to the elevator, slid his card through the reader inside the lift, and pressed the button for the top floor.

He strode toward his office after the lift doors slid open again, pushing open the right side redwood door when he came to it. Lieutenant Commander Lynx stood and snapped off a salute as he entered. "Good morning, sir."

Feral rolled his eyes. "Sit back down, Benjamin. You don't need to be so formal."

"Well you say that now…" He chuckled and sat as Feral tossed him the folder. "What's this?"

"It's the Council's idea of helping us out." Feral flopped into his seat with a sigh, rubbing his forehead with his right hand. "Take a good look and tell me what you think."

Benny opened the folder and groaned at what he saw. "That's not nearly enough."

The Commander nodded. "It's what we get, though. Manx has wasted too much money on his own projects. Even they're pissed at him." He swiveled his chair toward the windows. "I need those district reports now."

The Lieutenant Commander pulled a file out of one of the drawers of his desk and headed over to Feral's desk. "By the way… Felina was here yesterday."

Feral raised an eyebrow. "Really?" He turned his chair toward Benny. "I'm sorry I missed her. What did she want?"

Benny leaned forward and placed his hands on the edge of the Commander's desk, his expression hard. "She asked for added security for Westbrook, a squad of eight officers. I put the request through once she told me why." He shook his head as he slid the file over toward the leather chair. "It's not good, boss."

Feral picked up the file and opened it, filing through the papers until he found the one with the Captain's name on it. He scanned through the report until he found something that made him freeze up. His eyes fixed on the words as his mind raced. "Is this valid, Lieutenant?"

The tom nodded. "Plenty."

Feral groaned. "Great, some nut job decides to do this just on an election cycle. And he threatened her, too." He leaned back in his chair and read the report in its entirety. He growled as he put everything together. "Whoever this is thought they could get away with it because of this case Felina's working."

Benny pushed off from the desk and stood straight, hands behind his back. "You sound like you're gonna do something."

Feral nodded. "Damn straight I am." He leaned forward and lifted the receiver of his emergency phone. "I'm putting out an APB on this bastard. This crap does not sit well with me."

The Lieutenant Commander nodded. "I'll get to work figuring out how to use the money that's coming our way." He headed back toward his desk and pulled out a budget planning sheet. "I can't really blame the Council for pinching its pennies because of the Mayor's bullshit."

Ulysses growled again. "Well _I_ can." He put the receiver to his ear and dialed up dispatch. "This is Feral. I need an APB sent out for a tom with the following description…"

* * *

**Kanto the Slayer** presents

A _SWAT Kats_ Fanfiction

_**MegaKat Shield**_

* * *

"I know you're not trying to get _that_ engine."

Chance grinned as his left arm curled a 110 pound barbell. "Yes I am. I mean come on, that old V8 is a piece of shit." He exhaled as he curled again. "Air intake's on the verge of failure, filter's shot, spark plugs are wearing out… We gotta do it." Chance grunted as he curled again, his bicep bulging under his fur. "Don't tell me you aren't excited about this. I know you are."

Jake shook his head. "It's not that, just that old frame might not be able to handle a new engine, let alone a new anything else."

Chance put the weight down onto the light blue mat the bench sat on. He peered at Jake's reflection in the mirror, clad in a black a-shirt and white basketball shorts with a flame pattern on the sides. A short terrycloth towel hung around the slim tom's neck. "What are you talking about? The old Challenger and the new one are practically the same as far as how they run. There's no reason why we can't overhaul that thing."

Jake shrugged. "Don't blame me if you wreck the chassis." He stood, picked a pair of sixty pound weights from the rack, and took a few steps back before he pressed the dumbbells over his head, a look of strain on his face. "You should just re-tool the old engine so it still works—Ahhhh! That way you won't have to get a new one." He pressed again, making his shoulders burn.

Chance shook his head. "I'll pretend you didn't say that." He picked up the weight again with his right hand and curled it.

Jake finished his first set and sat down, lowering the barbells to the floor. He looked over at Chance as the big tom cranked out his moves in a close-fitting white muscle shirt and grey sweat pants, a pair of black fingerless leather gloves on his hands. "I got what you sent me."

Chance put the weight down, his breathing heavy. "What do you make of it?"

Jake grimaced. "Bad shit, that's what. If he's the one helping Manx win these elections, no telling what he's got set up. We're treading on really thin ice, messing with him."

Chance shrugged. "We gotta mess with him anyway, Jake. He took a swipe at Callie. I can't let that happen again." He stood and stretched his arms over his head. "What she's doing is too important, for us and everyone else."

Jake stood as well, wiped his forehead with the towel. "I'm more interested in who he's taking orders from. We need to get him to talk, or get someone that's working with him." The slim tom rolled his shoulders, still complaining about the overhead presses. "That's not exactly gonna be easy, these kats are ghosts."

Chance chuckled as he headed for one of the machines. "You act like we haven't fought those before."

They churned through the rest of their usual morning routine without another word. Half an hour later, they headed for the gym's stationary bikes and climbed on. Jake turned on the time trial mode on his machine. "Time to see what's up."

Chance glanced toward Jake's timer. "I never did get what that was supposed to do."

Jake raised an eyebrow. "What, time trial?" He shrugged and put in twenty minutes for the time limit. "It records how many calories you're burning and stops counting when the timer runs out. It's basically a way to compare how you did last time with this time." Jake took in a deep breath and started the timer, then leaned forward and started to pump his legs.

Chance looked at his own control panel with a shrug. "Think I'll do that _next_ time." He pedaled at a more relaxed pace than the slim tom but still tried to hit his target. Twenty minutes later, they finished, climbed off the bikes and hit the showers. It didn't take long to wash up and change into their jeans and t-shirts before they left the gym, ready to get back to work.

They climbed into Jake's car, a silver BMW Z4 roadster, and drove toward Chance's apartment. Jake turned toward the broad-shouldered tom as they stopped at a red light. "We got anything else on this guy? Any known relatives or acquaintances?"

Chance shook his head. "We got nothing but that record I found. Any other documents on this kat are pretty much null and void." He sighed, scratched his right ear. "We need some hard proof he's tampering with the elections. Otherwise we're not gonna have any kind of case on him."

Jake raised an eyebrow. "Case?" He chuckled. "Come on man, we're not Enforcers anymore."

Chance grimaced. "You think that's stopped us before?"

The slim tom shrugged as the light turned green again. "Just saying, don't call it a case. Call it civic duty." He toed the accelerator and the roadster glided along the pavement. "Feral would eat us for lunch if we tried to bring this guy in without his say. It sucks, but it's the way things work."

Chance glared at Jake. "So we just turn the evidence in to the Enforcers and hope they can do something about it?" The big tom scoffed. "Not likely. They're short-staffed and the Commander isn't exactly the brightest damn star in the sky. No, it's up to us to do this, just like always."

"And if we get caught?"

Chance smirked. "What's he gonna do? He locks us up, he risks leaving Callie open for attack. And that's assuming that he _does_ find out we're trying to tilt the scales in her favor, which he won't." He sat back in his seat, arms folded in front of his chest. "Relax, buddy. You worry too much sometimes."

"_You_ call it worrying. _I_ call it being prepared for the worst." Jake turned onto the street that led toward the building Chance lived in. "We're stepping on an awful lot of toes to do this, man. If we don't stop this before it gets bad, sooner or later someone's gonna put the boots to _us_. Then it won't matter how much we helped."

They pulled into the apartment building's garage and Jake parked in an empty spot just behind Chance's recently-bought car, cutting the engine off before he got out. "Okay, let's see this junker of yours..."

They headed over to the 1970 Dodge Challenger with the faded, peeling orange paint. Chance had put a sign on the back window that said 'do not touch', as if that would keep everyone from taking a very working, very exposed target. Jake looked at the sign, his expression amused. "Dude, seriously?"

Chance glanced sidewise at the slim tom. "What? This thing doesn't exactly have an advanced security system."

They walked around to the front of the car, opened the hood and looked under. Jake grimaced. "Okay, I see your point. The engine _is_ a piece of crap." He looked over at the air filter and shook his head. "And this thing's out, too. We're talking a new air intake system, new battery, probably a better exhaust..."

Chance smirked. "I told you. Gut it like a fish and start over." Chance closed the hood, looked over the body with a sigh. "New paint job first and foremost. Can't drive around like this." He opened the driver's side door. "We definitely need a new interior. I refuse to look like someone had my seats for snack time."

Jake chuckled. "So… you got a garage for all this yet?"

Chance closed the door and leaned back against the car. "I got nothing on that." His brows knotted with frustration. "You'd think there would be an empty one _somewhere_, right?" He sighed, shook his head. "Well whatever, I'll find it sooner or later."

Jake clapped the big tom's left shoulder. "Hey, relax. I got an idea." They made their way inside as Jake explained what he had in mind…

* * *

Calico Briggs stood in front of a glass panel display, located in the board room of Alicia Snowshoe's law firm. The members of her team sat at their chairs, some focused on the meeting while others simply sat with their eyes closed, an occasional twitch of their ears the only indication they were even listening.

Callie picked up a black glove with metal fingertips, slid it onto her right hand, and turned toward the screen that showed a map of MegaKat City. She pointed to three districts without touching the glass, each one lighting a different color. "The Wharf District, the West End, and Eastside." She turned toward her team as the poll numbers popped up just over each selected borough. "These are the three places where our numbers are the highest. Our job is to prevent anyone from sacking them. I need suggestions."

The campaign manager, sitting just to her right, spoke first as he adjusted his red necktie. "We need to get them involved, first and foremost. We hold events in those areas. Get them energized. The more convinced they are of our stance, the better off we'll be in getting their vote when it comes down to it."

Callie nodded. "Okay Edward, that's a start." She turned toward her recruiter. "I want you to check up on those kats you sent out, Sophie. See what they managed to do. You need to get out there as well, canvass the neighborhoods in those districts. The more kats we have on the move, the more volunteers we can post in here."

The leopardess nodded. "Consider it done."

Callie pointed toward her treasurer. "Marc, tell me we have more than yesterday."

He smirked, his eyes still closed. He had draped his leather jacket over the back of his chair before the meeting, revealing his white silk dress shirt underneath. "Much more. The donations from supporters are still coming in thick. Manx doesn't have too many friends as far as the citizenry is concerned." He stretched his arms over his head. "I'm surprised the other two districts have such low numbers, to be honest."

Callie shook her head. "I'm not. Those are where the big businesses and the affluent neighborhoods are. The deeper the pockets, the more interested they are in seeing Manx win." She turned and highlighted Downtown and Southern Hills, grimaced at her numbers. "We need to do something about that."

Marc shrugged. "Just get the ones that don't like him, but won't vote, out of the equation. They'll support you financially just to see him suffer." He opened his eyes for once, looking toward Callie. "Have you thought about asking that one tom for funding? I forget his name…"

Angela broke in with a grin. "Mr. Young!"

Marc nodded. "That's the one. If we got his help it'd go a long way."

Callie nodded. He and the Mayor weren't exactly the best of friends. Besides, she knew his address by now. "Thanks for reminding me. I'll take care of that myself." She looked around the room with a smile. "Let's go get it done, kats."

The room slowly emptied as Callie took off the glove and turned the monitor off. Her ears twitched as she heard the familiar footfalls of a pair of heavy boots. "Penny, you stay."

The black-haired, brown-furred she-kat stopped in her tracks, just a few feet from the open door. "There a problem, boss?" Her voice was soft, its tone neutral.

Callie shook her head, her back still turned to the she-kat in black. "Nope. Just have a seat."

Penny sat, and a few seconds later, Callie pulled out a seat just next to her. For a few moments, silence filled the room as the blond relaxed in her chair. She felt the she-kat next to her out, tried to get a sense of what made her tick. Her skin tingled as the back of her mind picked up the strong aura radiating from the black-clad techie.

"Are you trying to read me?"

Callie's eyes widened and she looked over to her right. "Well… yeah. How could you tell?"

Penny shook her head. "Not telling." She leaned back in the reclining chair, propped her boots onto the desk, revealing her sheer, black thigh-high stockings and the leather skirt. A silver chain with a pentacle-shaped charm hung from her neck, shining bright against the black halter top. "You want to ask me something, I can tell."

Callie turned to face the adjacent wall and tried to limit her questions to just one. So many raced through her mind that it was hard to pin down the one she wanted. She took a few breaths, trying to get her brain to slow down before she finally spoke. "Why do you dress like that?"

Penny chuckled. "Figured you'd ask that sooner or later." She looked up toward the ceiling, as if contemplating her answer. "Why do you dress in that pink suit?"

Callie shrugged. "I'm used to it, really. Besides, I like pink."

"Is that all?"

Callie glanced at Penny. "What do you mean?"

Penny didn't look toward Callie, but she did explain. "You're trying to find out why I do what I do. Maybe you should ask yourself that same question. Like for example, why you're running for Mayor." She shrugged. "I've done my homework on you. You were doing fine as Deputy Mayor."

Callie's eyes narrowed. This again? She ran a hand through her golden tresses. No, don't get angry with her. "Someone has to."

Penny looked toward the candidate. "But you don't want to."

The blond nodded. "It scares the hell out of me. You're constantly in the spotlight, kats watching your every move, sniffing for blood like a pack of sharks." She bowed her head, eyes fixed on the cherry wood of the table. "It's frustrating and it's tiring, and it's the worst job in the city. If you make a bad decision it'll stick with everyone."

The dark-haired she-kat nodded, looked up to the ceiling again. "So don't do it."

Callie shook her head. "I can't back down now. I've seen how the system works, how flawed it is." She sighed. "I love this city, Penny. I'll take the bad any day as long as someone protects the good. And if no one else will do it, then I will. No matter how frightening it's gonna be."

Silence hung over them for a few moments before Penny replied. "I wear black because I mourn."

Callie looked up from the table at the she-kat next to her. "Mourn for who?"

Penny shook her head. "Not who, what. I'm mourning the slow death of society. The injustice, the fallacies, the double-standards, they're killing everything. So I cut myself off from it, to save myself." She smirked. "Besides, black absorbs more energy. That's why they call it a power color."

The blond went silent for a few moments before she nodded. "I see your point. You do have a pretty strong aura." She turned back toward the wall. "So if you don't agree with society, why are you working for me?"

Penny smiled, and it reached her brown eyes. "Because with the way you're running this campaign, you're mourning it too. You don't just sit there and accept it, either." She put her feet down from the table and leaned forward in the seat. "You're serious about it, you want to fix it, and you know how. I figured I'd pitch in, fight the good fight."

"And I appreciate it." Callie leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms over her head. "You're a genius with computers. Hell, with anything that involves tech. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have any of this." She looked toward the glass display. "This thing, for example, is one of the coolest damn things I've ever played with."

Penny raised an eyebrow. "You think so huh?"

Callie nodded. "Oh, yeah! Meetings are _so_ much fun with it." She turned back to Penny. "You know, there's someone I know that you'd like. He's good with this stuff too. His name's Jake Clawson."

Penny gave Callie a deadpan stare. "Don't tell me you're trying to hook me up."

Callie shook her head with a quiet laugh. "He's seeing someone already. But you need to meet him."

"I'll think about it, under one condition." Penny placed a black silk gloved hand on Callie's right shoulder. "You and Angela are coming with me to this club I go to, this weekend."

The blonde's features shank. Oh, hell. "Um… I can't dance. And we probably won't have time for it."

Penny scoffed. "You have a campaign manager for a reason. Let him take care of all the crap. Also, no one said you had to _dance_, just to _show up_." She gave the muscle just next to Callie's shoulder a soft, reassuring squeeze. "I have people you need to meet, too. They'll love you."

Callie lowered her head again, eyebrows in a slight frown. She did have a point. It wouldn't hurt too much, would it? Callie looked back up at the she-kat next to her. "Deal."

Penny beamed. "Awesome! Just two rules when we go..." She let go of Callie's shoulder and displayed the index finger of her right hand. "First, you wear black. I don't care what it is, or how flashy, it needs to be black." She added the finger next to it to the count. "Second, this isn't a rally. No politics while we're there. There are anarchists in the group I hang with. They won't hurt you, but they're passionate about what they believe in. Don't get into an argument with 'em."

Callie rolled her eyes. "I'll be good, mom."

Penny reeled back a bit. "Whoa, hang on there! Don't call me that. That's the _third_ rule."

The blond chuckled as she stood up. "See you this weekend, then." She made her way out of the board room door, tail swishing behind her.

Penny looked behind her, eyes twinkling. "I'll have to get you back for that later, boss."

* * *

The tom grimaced as he stared at the lights of the gun store, a few of them still on even at this late hour. Streetlights nearby illuminated the sidewalk, preventing any entry what so ever in that direction. A locked door didn't matter, but lights did. He couldn't break them, nothing to break them with. Time for an alternate route.

He needed to find the stock room, if there was one. Find out how to get in from there if he could.

The tom walked over to the alley just to the right of the storefront, into the shadows created by the city lights. Around the back of the building, toward what he figured was the service entrance, a fence barred his way after forty feet. The tom gritted his teeth. No back door.

The backpack on his back seemed heavier than usual as he felt his way through the darkness, ran his left hand on the brick wall of the shop as if he'd find something he could use doing that. He stopped after two minutes, ears twitching. The stock room was just behind this section of the wall. A Machiavellian smirk crossed his face as he read the room from the outside.

Perfect.

The smile twisted into a grimace as he tried to clear his mind of all thoughts, save for one.

His hand began to sink into the wall, inch by painstaking inch. The tom tried to ignore the prickling of his skin, the wrongness of his hand phasing through solid matter. It took him thirty seconds to pass through the wall entirely, up to his forearm. The tom nodded and stepped the rest of the way through, his mind still blank.

The lights were off, but he could see as clear as day. Everything he needed was right here. He didn't know much about guns, but he did know the closer one was, the higher the hit percentage. He didn't have to be all too close for what he wanted to do. Besides, no one would see him anyway, not unless they knew how things worked here.

His eyes narrowed as one thought led to another. _They_ knew how things worked. His hands clenched into fists. Bastards thought they knew everything.

The tom looked around the stock room again. He didn't know which gun was which, but he did know that they all did the same thing. Didn't matter which one, as long as it got the job done. He reached for a small-looking pistol, examined it for a few moments. The bottom of the grip was empty, as if something went there. Obvious enough what it was, from the television shows he used to watch.

He looked at the left side of the gun, read the inscription. Was that decimal there the size of the ammunition? He looked around for boxes of bullets, found one that matched the number on the gun. Well, so far so good. He shrugged the backpack off of his shoulders and opened it, grabbed the box of ammo and put it into the pouch just in front of the main sack. He reached for a pair of magazines and put them into the backpack as well.

They'd notice something was missing. He didn't care. They'd _never_ find him.

The tom headed for the wall again but stopped himself as a thought crossed his mind. Guns made noise. Noise wasn't in the plan. He had to cut the noise off.

The tom turned around again, his black trench coat sweeping the floor. What'd they call it, that thing that stopped the noise of a gun? He looked around the room, his ears twitching, poking out from the top of the balaclava he wore. His eyes widened as he saw what he was looking for, on the top shelf. A box with a five inch long tube on it, a hole just at the end.

A suppressor.

He looked around again for anything he could use to reach the box. There, a ladder. He headed for it, propped it against the shelf and climbed until he could reach what he wanted. After retrieving it from the top shelf, he put it between his teeth and slid down the ladder with all the practiced ease of a fireman.

He was so glad he'd learned that when he was little.

The tom put the ladder back where he'd found it, put the suppressor into the pack, and closed it. On to the next phase. He hefted the backpack onto his shoulders and exited the stock room, vanishing into the darkness of the alley again. It was almost time. Just a few more things and he'd be ready to finish this.

Not like it'd get him out of here, but at least it'd make him feel better. Besides, he didn't wanna leave anymore anyway. Here, he could do anything he wanted.

And they'd never find him.

* * *

Felina glared at the portrait on the report she'd just printed out. So this was the guy that broke in, huh? Well Callie was right about his size. The squad she'd asked for probably wouldn't be enough.

She read through the file, her expression becoming more and more disturbed as her eyes took it in. Former Agency? What the hell did he get in trouble with _those_ guys for? On top of that, why was he in politics at all? Her eyes narrowed as the implications slowly began to creep into her head. Money, power, probably a slice of the pie if Manx won. Maybe he wanted to get back at the CIA for booting him.

She put the file down, her head bowed in thought. Bringing him in wouldn't be easy. For all they knew he could be somewhere else by now, controlling the operations from a remote location. She shook her head and poked the tiger's portrait. "I'm gonna find you and kick your ass."

The phone on Felina's desk rang harshly, making her ears ring. "Shit, it's too late for this." She rubbed her eyes, reached for the receiver, and put it to her right ear. "Feral."

"Felina, it's Jake."

She smiled. Well at least something good happened tonight. "You know you shouldn't be calling this number."

She heard a chuckle on the other end. "Couldn't help but see how you were doing. Everything okay?"

She sighed and ran her left hand through her hair. "No. This case is kicking my ass."

Jake was silent for all of two seconds before he spoke again. "Depends on what the problem is. Talk to me."

The brunette grimaced. "You know I can't talk about cases with civilians, no matter how sexy or how close in proximity they are every time I go to bed." She chuckled at her last words. "I have such a dirty mind at night."

"Yeah, well you can exercise it all you want when you get back. I'm sure it's been a bad day."

Felina nodded. "Bad and getting worse." She looked toward her door for a moment, checked if anyone needed to speak to her. "Hang on…" She set the receiver down on the table, walked over to the door, and pulled the blinds down. After she locked the door, Felina headed back over to the phone and picked it up. "You know what, fuck it," she muttered. "I'll explain what's going on. I don't think we can handle this by ourselves anyway."

"I'm all ears."

She gathered her thoughts before giving him the rundown. "We got a string of vehicle break-ins with no clear method of entry. The guy just pulls stuff right out of the cars without the having to open the hood, a door, or do anything else visible to the vehicle." She glanced over to the door again, ears twitching. "I got a theory of how he does it, but not how he's _able_ to do it." She wrinkled her nose as she played that back in her mind. "If that even makes sense."

"It does, keep going."

Felina shrugged. "Not much else to say at the moment. He leaves no prints, no hairs, not even a speck of dirt. Without those I can't identify him, and if I can't identify him…"

Jake sighed. "…You got no case."

The Captain nodded. "Exactly." She scratched the back of her head. "This is driving me up a wall, Jake. If you have any suggestions at all, let me know now."

A pause on the other end. "Well all I can tell you is that no one's perfect. He's gonna make a mistake sooner or later, and once he does you have to be there. I don't care how clever he thinks he is, you're smarter."

Felina smiled again and purred. "You know, flattery will get you anywhere you want with me." She leaned back in her chair and stopped her whispering. "So how are things going with Chance? Has he got his new place all set up?"

"Yeah. It's pretty sweet, I should bring you over next time I go."

Their banter went on for two minutes before Felina told Jake she'd be home soon and said her goodbyes. She hung up and propped her elbows on the table, a smile on her face. At least he tried to help, and that was more than she could say about anyone else right now. Felina yawned and checked her digital clock with a drawn expression. Late. Too late. She stretched out and stood from her desk, taking her weapon, holster, badge, and duty belt from the drawers before heading for the door. Felina snatched her coat from the rack and unlocked the exit to her office, cutting the lights before she left.

"Good night guys," she yelled as she headed out of the station, her arms sliding through the sleeves of her gray-and-blue trench coat with the Enforcer emblem on the right side of the chest. Instead of taking her cruiser, Felina climbed into her Lamborghini and started the beastly engine with a grin. "God I love this thing."

She turned on an Aerosmith song as she pulled out of the lot, the speakers blasting the track through the windows as she made her way back home.

* * *

**Chapter 5—**_**Fighting City Hall**_

I figured I'd name this chapter something along the lines of this theme I've been going on, where people are getting ready to go to battle. Took me two tries to come up with it, but I figure it's a good one.

I figured I would take this time out to express my appreciation at all the fine authors that inspired me to write a crime fic. A particularly horrifying and suspenseful one is Steal the Dead, by **Fish Head The 3****rd**** and Co.** I know it's not listed as a crime fic, but it is one. Trust me.

It's not finished. I have a feeling it's never going to be finished, leaving me on the hook forever. But good stories like that are the reason I write stuff like this, to try and make the bad stuff out there better. Trust me, there's a lot of it. You don't have to look too hard to find it. But I'm trying to make a good one that stands up to the other good ones, so please review and tell me what you think.

Until next chapter, this is your Slayer.


	6. Chapter 6

Three Enforcer cruisers sat outside a gun store in East MegaKat City, red and blue lights flashing. Officers clad in navy blue stood outside, speaking to the store owner. Bright yellow police tape spanned the doorway, barring entry to anyone but investigators.

The thief had struck again.

Felina stood in front of the open stock room, her fists clenched at her sides, eyes narrowed and her tail swinging as if it were angry as she was. Seriously, this guy pissed her off to no end.

The scene in front of her painted the picture pretty well. A USP Compact Tactical, a silencer, two magazines, and a box of .45 caliber ammo. All found missing as soon as the owner walked in. She didn't want to step into the room for fear of disturbing any prints. If she was that lucky this time. She looked down at the floor, noticed the dust on the tiles. Unless he could walk on air, there should be—she grinned.

"Your mistake is my lucky break, bud."

Boot prints, starting just from her left, near the shelves across from her. She looked around for anything else, and her eyes spotted a steel ladder. Her grin widened at what she saw. "Oh yeah, this is gonna be good."

Black scuff marks on the bottom half of the metal. Slowly, the incident played out in her head.

Guy walked in from the entry point from the alley outside, looked around for something he could use. He doesn't notice, or doesn't care, that no one's swept the floor. She looked toward the missing boxes on the lower shelves. Went for the first things he could grab easily, weapon, ammo, magazines. She glanced over to the boot prints near the shelf that used to have the suppressor on it. Too high, so he had to get something. He went for the ladder, climbed up, snagged the box, did a fireman's slide down to the floor.

Done, out.

Felina shook her head. "That much is clear," she muttered, "But how the hell can you walk through walls?"

She headed back outside the stock room, headed for the front entrance. That wasn't the only problem with this. She grimaced as new implications rammed through her head.

This tom was going to kill someone, and she had no idea where he would strike first.

Felina shook her head. She had evidence, prints left behind. At the very least, she'd be able to know what shoe size this kat was, and from there… A confident smirk crossed her face. They could guess how tall this kat was on average just from that. That wouldn't mean much, but it would help build a profile. They were on the right track, sure enough.

She got into her cruiser and dialed her Crime Scene Unit. "I need you guys to get down here... I have some goodies for you."

* * *

**Kanto the Slayer** presents

A _SWAT Kats_ Fanfiction

_**MegaKat Shield**_

* * *

Chance raised an eyebrow. "You serious?"

Jake nodded as they stood in front of the open metal doors to the empty garage. "Dead serious, man. Look, it's perfect!" He strode forward through one of the doors. "The old kat just gave us this place, without any strings attached. Says he's already got his retirement benefits set up and stored away, doesn't need it anymore."

Chance followed the slim tom in, looking around as he walked in. Stubborn oil stains still marked the concrete floor. Wooden shelves, coated with a light blanket of dust, lay bare. He spotted a door at the far right corner of the garage, no doorknob. He headed for it, but it didn't open. "Hey buddy, what's this about?"

Jake looked over at Chance with a quirked eyebrow. "Looks like it slides to the side, or maybe upward." He walked toward it, but nothing happened for him either. Jake shrugged. "Motion sensor doesn't work, the power in this place is out cold."

Chance nodded. "There's probably another way in." He headed out of the garage. "You got any keys?"

Jake fished a key ring out of the right pocket of his faded light blue jeans. "Right here."

They walked past a department-store style glass window and Jake unlocked the front door with one of the keys. More bare shelves greeted them, an empty checkout counter near the entrance waiting for someone to step behind it. The black and white tile floor was dusty from neglect, and their boots made neat prints on the checker board.

Chance nodded again as he looked around. "Even the shelves are intact. We damn sure will get some new ones, though." He turned toward Jake, a grin all over his face. "Nice plan, buddy!"

Jake smirked. "Well the plan's not over yet. This is just a starting point, a place to revamp your ride. If we wanna turn it into a business, we need a lot more than just a location." He started making his way out of the abandoned store. "But yeah, we got lucky on this one."

Chance rolled his shoulders as he left just behind the slim tom, making his leather jacket creak slightly. "Well, now we just have to go through the motions of getting this place opened up and ready. How much is it gonna cost us to do that?"

Jake shrugged. "It's gonna take a big bite out of our nest eggs, I'll tell you that much."

Chance sighed as he climbed into the passengers' side of the roadster. "Well we need some way to keep those nest eggs going. If that means we have to spend money to make it, that's fine by me." He closed the door, sat back against the seat. "So, you got anything else on our guy?"

Jake shook his head. "Nope, but Felina told me last night that her uncle's got an APB on him. I don't know if that'll help, but at least something's getting done." He started the engine and activated the power top, the roof pulling out of the trunk and up over their heads.

"It won't be enough." Chance grimaced as they pulled out of the parking lot. "We need to get someone who knows what's going on and make 'em spill their guts. That's the easiest way to get the location of this Donovan kat. Unless we get that, we got nothing."

Jake ran a hand along his red cap. "Well Mayor Manx has to have friends in high places, right? Why don't we get one of them?" He smiled. "All we gotta do is find out who he's given funding to, and we know where to start looking."

Chance rubbed his chin. "I hadn't really thought of that one."

Jake nodded. "That's why you got me." He stopped at a red light just a few miles away from the garage. "Our only problem is getting them to talk when we don't have badges to flash. We can't just walk in and demand answers without authority."

Chance grunted his acknowledgement. "And with Felina working on that one case, it's not gonna be easy to get someone else on it." His eyes narrowed. "Our hands are tied."

Jake paused for a moment, nodded. "Yeah… they are."

Chance rammed his right fist into the dashboard. "Shit! We were on a roll, too…" His expression turned from anger and frustration to worry. "And Callie's gonna have to deal with this on her own."

Jake shrugged again. "Maybe we shouldn't worry so much about her. She can handle herself, and she's got other kats with her that'll help. Besides, we have more important things to worry about. I mean, the elections are big, but there's taking care of ourselves. Paying rent, paying for the lights, food, TV…"

Chance rolled his eyes. "I _got_ it! Geez, rub it in." His face softened, turning forlorn. "I just wanted to help."

Jake squeezed Chance's left shoulder. "Me too, big guy."

Jake pulled away from the crosswalk as the signal light turned green, rounded the corner, and headed back toward Chance's apartment.

* * *

"Oh my _God_, where did you get that?"

Callie chuckled at Angela's shocked expression as she looked into the full-length mirror mounted against the wall next to her master bedroom closet. "I had it rushed to me after ordering it just last night." She turned around to look at the back of the black dress with lace accents in the front, the hem ending at mid-calf. A slit in the right side of her dress gave her legs freedom of movement and a black leather choker fit snugly around her neck. Opera gloves coated her arms in black silk until they stopped just three inches above her elbows. She was barefoot for the moment, but a pair of black heels sat just next to her feet, shining in the bedroom lights.

"I think this whole thing is starting to get to your head," Angela said as she shook her head in disbelief. "It's just a _club_, Callie!"

The blond shrugged as she faced the mirror again. "I don't think so. It's more than just that, I know it." She turned toward Angela with a smile on her face. "You should get something too, y'know. You'd look nice all dressed up."

The redhead took a few steps back, her hands raised as if blocking the sight of Callie done up in lace and silk. "I don't have anything like that! The only black thing I have is a pant suit with a white neck tie…" Her eyes widened. "You don't mean to make me wear that thing, do you?" She grimaced. "I'd look like I was going to a wake."

Callie laughed softly. "First of all, we're probably going at night, no one would see you. And second, in case you forgot, _everyone_ will be wearing black in there! No one's gonna laugh at you for it." She placed a finger on her chin. "Or are you somehow scared you'll like it?"

Angela's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates again, her jaw slack. "You can't be serious about that, can you?"

"You _are_ scared, then!" Callie beamed, crossed the gap between them in two strides. "Come on, tell me why. It's just going to be one big costume party anyway, if what Penny wears every day is any indication. What's the big deal?"

Angela glared at her friend. "Well for one, I gave up trick or treating a long time ago. And two, if someone finds out about this, it's going to damage the both of us severely. We need to keep our reputations clean here if we wanna win this thing!"

Callie sighed. "Look, I understand what you're getting at. But this won't hurt at all, trust me." She shrugged. "I don't know how we managed to stay friends this long if you don't."

"It's not that I don't trust you. Hell, I trust Penny, _however _weird she is! It's just…" Angela glanced away from Callie, her left hand tugging at the collar of her dark red sport jacket. "…I don't trust her friends. They could be dangerous." She shifted her weight from side to side, making the black mini-dress pull at her figure every time she straightened a knee.

The blond nodded. "I get that too. But I can defend myself and you, so don't worry." She smirked. "Besides, these places usually have their own security personnel. We won't have to fight if a couple of big toms fight for us."

Angela shook her head. "I still don't like the look of this. But if you still want me to go, I'll go."

Callie nodded and turned back toward the mirror. "Of _course_ I want you to go. I mean, it's not as if we have anything to do until the rally tour starts, so we might as well have some fun!" She turned toward her bathroom door. "I'm gonna change back. Meet me in the living room and we'll go to work."

She vanished into the bathroom, closed the door behind her. Callie sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror above the sink. "What'd she invite me for…?" She took her gloves off first, putting them onto the toilet cover before getting to work on the dress. "I mean, this looks nice, but I've never been anywhere like this before." She shook her head and reached for the zipper behind her. "Well, no turning back now. Besides, she doesn't mean anything bad by it."

From the time she slipped out of the elegant black costume, it took her all of five minutes to get dressed in her more routine clothing. A pair of cream slacks on her legs, a white silk blouse tucked into the waist. A dark blue necktie underneath the collar, snug enough to stay in place without cutting off her air. She grabbed her shoulder holster, slid her left arm through the loop with the M1911 hooked onto it, then pulled the other strap over her right arm. She tightened up and checked herself in the mirror with a nod... before she whipped her right hand toward the grip. The gun vanished from the holster in the blink of an eye, aimed at her reflection.

She smirked. "Felina, you have no end of tricks."

She put the gun away and walked over to the towel rack. A double-breasted linen coat, same color as the slacks with a six-on-two button layout hung on one of the hooks. She plucked it from the hanger and slid her arms through, the holster vanishing beneath the garment. Callie buttoned up, grabbed her heels, strapped them on and walked out of the bathroom, turning the lights off as she made her exit.

She grabbed her beret off of the bed and fit it neatly onto her head, grabbed her backpack just to the right, and put it on as she left the master bedroom. "Snowy, I'm ready to go!"

"About time," the redhead yelled from the living room. She looked toward Callie from the couch, grinned at what she saw. "That's _much_ better. You looked like you were all dressed up to lay in a coffin with that other thing."

Callie shook her head with a smirk. "You won't quit about that, will you. Come on, let's go."

They made their way outside, toward Callie's car. Her phone buzzed inside the pouch she'd put it in and she rolled her eyes. "Come on guys, can't it wait until I'm there?" She fished a wireless ear piece from her right jacket pocket and stuck it into her ear. Callie pressed in the receive button on the boom. "Briggs."

"It's Eddie. Did you see the news this morning?"

Callie shook her head. "No, I haven't… what's wrong?"

"Get over here, now. We taped it just in case you missed it."

Her eyes narrowed. "So you're not gonna tell me what's on the tape?" She pulled out of the garage and started on her way to Snowy's office. "I don't like the sound of that."

"Oh it's nothing bad. Well, nothing damaging, anyways. Just get over here quick."

The other end hung up.

Callie looked toward Angela, concern coloring her expression. "Any idea what's going on?"

Snowy shrugged. "I just hope we're not in trouble this early. If they're on the attack, we need to respond in kind or else they'll drown us." She frowned, her brows furrowing in thought. "But they shouldn't have anything on us. If they do, they'll have to make it stick, which they won't be able to."

Callie focused her eyes on the road again. "Well we'll just have to see what's waiting for us. We'll make a decision then."

They pulled into the parking lot just next to Angela's law firm and walked in, Callie leading the way. Kats looked toward the double doors as the two of them strode through. "All right," Callie bellowed, "Let's see it!"

Edward combed his left hand through his brown hair in an attempt to tidy it. "Penny, you got it set?"

"Yeah. Gimme a second to patch it in." She pointed toward the glass panel at the back of the room from her computer. "It'll show up on that, just about… now." She pressed the enter key on her keyboard, turned toward the screen with a bag of popcorn in her ruffled-skirt clad lap. She reached in and popped a kernel into her mouth. "You're gonna love this."

Callie raised an eyebrow as she watched what looked to be a political ad. Her eyes widened as the commercial went on, unable to look away. The recording ended in a little over thirty seconds. For a few moments, Callie stood silent, her brain trying to process what she just saw.

Then she snorted, burst out laughing. Her hands clutched her sides as she doubled over, ribs almost in pain. "Oh my… Oh my _God_!" She tried to breathe, couldn't find enough air to take in before she laughed again. "Is _that_ the best they can do?"

Angela beamed and sniggered. "Apparently it is! I guess all that money they have doesn't mean much!"

Chuckles spread around the room as kats got back to work. Callie wiped a tear from the corner of her right eye. "We don't even have enough money to properly produce an ad, and we could do _miles_ better than all that spin!" She walked over toward Penny and put her right hand on the Goth's left shoulder. "You're gonna help me."

Penny nodded, wiped her fingers off on her slim-fitting black t-shirt and turned back toward her screen, her fingerless, wrist-length lace gloves on the keyboard. "Tell me what you need. Crap like this doesn't need to be on TV anyways."

Callie nodded and leaned forward until her head was next to the right ear of the black-haired she-kat. "I got a dress for our night out," she whispered.

Penny grinned without looking over at the blond. "Can't wait to see what you came up with. What about Angela? Does she have anything?"

Callie shook her head. "She doesn't plan on wearing anything besides her suit and tie and a black shirt. Kinda lame if you ask me, but that's what she's coming in." She looked over her right shoulder for any sign of the redhead. "I think she's a bit intimidated by this whole thing."

Penny smirked. "First-timers are always intimidated by something new. She'll get used to it when she finds out just what this place is all about." She glanced over at Callie. "Which leads me to the fact that you're surprisingly accepting of all this."

Callie turned toward the screen again and shrugged. "I trust you. If I didn't, I'd have refused outright and told you not to ask again."

"Touché." The Goth rolled her shoulders. "Let's do this thing."

* * *

Wires and connectors protruded from the car security system, many of them useless. The same connectors poked out of the GPS navigation computer, some equally unimportant. The ones that mattered were the ones that directly matched, and that was taking him a long time to figure out. It was like trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle when you couldn't see how the picture was supposed to look when you were done.

He didn't care. He had forever.

The tom in a black body suit, a pair of cargo pants of the same color tucked into six inch boots, and a leather trench coat over his shoulders shook his head. No, he didn't exactly have forever. The kats he wanted would either die of old age or move from their fixed locations, either of which was unacceptable. Shit. He had to figure this out soon, or else his opportunity would be lost.

He scratched the top of his head, fingers running along his silver fur as he tried to figure out how to best marry these two systems. It wasn't just a game of connect the dots. Certain inputs had to go into certain outputs for this whole process to work.

The tom tried again, hands covered with swirling black patterns shaking as he hooked the wires together, one pair at a time. Relax. Must relax. He swallowed around the lump in his throat as he finished the connections and turned the GPS on first, then the security system.

His ears rang with the loudest, shrillest alarm the damn thing could muster, making him bare his teeth and narrow his grey eyes, his brows curling upward in pain. Oh yeah, it worked! He turned the security system off and took in a deep breath of air as his ears twitched wildly.

Good. That was good. Now for the second part.

The tom waited for his ears to stop ringing before he began adjusting the security alarm for a different signal, and for a different purpose. This was the easy part, as far as he was concerned.

He turned it on again, and the security alarm beeped instead of whined as silhouettes passed through him, around him. The tom grinned, malice in his eyes. Excellent. Now for the third step.

He turned off the security and accessed the GPS computer through a liquid-crystal monitor he'd stolen some time ago. He needed to hone in on a specific set of frequencies with this thing. He knew each and every one of them, having memorized them in case of emergency.

He smirked. Not like this was an emergency. This was just them getting what they deserved.

He finished entering in the radio frequencies, saved them, and turned on the security again. Not but two seconds after he'd activated his setup, his makeshift tracer started to beep. Already? His eyes widened. Where? How close?

He stuffed his rig into the front pouch of his backpack and pulled a shoulder holster out. The tabby took off the trench coat, slid the holster on, and pulled out the gun from the depths of his sack. He'd learned how it worked damn quickly, even though he wouldn't need much room to do what he had to.

The tom rammed a loaded magazine into the well, put the gun into its holster, and slid the spare magazine into one of the pouches. He retrieved the silencer from the backpack and put it into the right inside pocket of his trench coat, then slid the leather over his shoulders again. His eyes turned distant, his expression blank and unfocused.

So he really was going to do this.

He closed the backpack, slid the straps over his shoulders. About time he did something, otherwise this would haunt him forever. Hell, it'd still probably haunt him for the rest of his days. But this was his world now, and he preferred it to the other one. The tom picked up his leather gloves and slid them over his paws, then slid the balaclava over his head and pulled the lower half over his mouth and nose.

With the sound of the tracker still echoing along the streets, he began his hunt for the source of the signal. It didn't take the security alarm too much longer to beep faster, and he picked up his pace as he neared an apartment complex. The tom stopped at the front doors, looked up toward the roof.

He had to find a good shadow to enter from, or else all this was for nothing. He circled around the building, trying to find at least one good way inside. He finally found a place with no light on the east side of the building, and proceeded to phase through the wall.

It was easier than before. Got easier every time he did it.

The tom stepped out of the shadow, into the darkness of the entrance hall. He could feel everything, from the elevator to the stairs, to the guard sleeping behind the security station. He pulled out his gun, screwed on the silencer, and took aim at the rent-a-cop clad in light blue.

The tom squeezed the trigger and the guard's head opened like a ripe cauliflower. He wouldn't be checking for anything any time soon. The tom continued onward, gun still drawn, purpose in his stride. He opened the stairwell, climbed up until the signal strengthened again, and exited onto the floor in question.

He looked up at the fluorescent ceiling lights. Those had to go. He aimed upward and shot out the illumination as he walked, glass showering around his head with every broken lamp. Eight shots later, he pushed down the magazine release and switched to his spare. He'd need to get more bullets before this was over.

Eight more bullets smashed the lighting above and he stopped at the nearby corner, his ears twitching at the sound of the tracker. Not much farther. He took a knee and pulled out the box of ammo from his backpack, taking his time with reloading the magazines. No need to hurry now.

He rammed one of the magazines home again and rounded the corner, shooting out five more lights until the tracker turned from a beep to a single tone. The tom's eyes narrowed as he shot two more lights out from where he stood. One round left… how fitting.

He turned toward the entrance to the apartment and stepped through.

This would only be the beginning…

* * *

Donovan sat in a chair at the table on the first floor of his campaign headquarters, arms folded in front of his broad chest. His eyes were closed and his face at peace as the noises of business rang in his ears. Kats at keyboards provided a sort of percussion, the sound of the mainframes on the second floor acted as a bass undertone. Kats walked past, their voices soft, yet still audible. His political symphony ran like clockwork, and it was all thanks to the funding he'd received from his backers. Of course, Mayor Manx would get a cut of the profits if he won.

And oh, how he'd win.

The numbers were against them in three districts so far, but that mattered little. The big money players were on their side, and that was all they needed to secure the election. Who the hell listened to the common kat these days anyway? Those with the money had the power, and trampled those that didn't underfoot. It was the way things worked, and that worked for him.

His ears twitched as a particular set of boots walked toward him and he smiled. "Tell me what you've done."

The tom with the buzz cut and the dark brown fur leaned over, whispered something into Donovan's ear.

All the noise seemed to stop as his brain processed the information. "…That was the wrong thing to say."

The tom shrugged. "Well it's true. The Enforcers have an APB on you."

The tiger opened his eyes, sat straight in his chair. "Who sold us out?"

The tom in tactical gear straightened his posture, arms behind his back. "No one in here. I did a check on everyone coming and going in the last two days, and no one's been anywhere near Enforcer Tower. I don't know who it is, but someone's helping Briggs from outside her campaign team."

Donovan growled. "Well, this is _just_ what we fucking need. A hero." He stood and headed for the board room. "Come on, this isn't the place for this."

He walked through the board room door, his security chief in tow. The door slid closed behind them and Donovan took a seat. "There are ways to find out who did this. Use them. I want whoever is behind this found and silenced. _Painfully_."

The tom nodded. "Yes sir."

Donovan sighed. "That's the problem with democracy. A few kats are stupid enough to think they can change the world on their own." He looked toward the black-haired tom. "What about the shadows, have they been briefed on their assignments?"

"They're ready to go. We only have two targets to track, right?"

The tiger nodded. "I want them on Briggs and Snowshoe, twenty-four-seven. I want to know where they eat breakfast, where they hang out, where they sleep. Most of all I want to know where their campaign headquarters is. Once we find that, you know what to do."

The tom shrugged. "You want me to kill anyone in there?"

Donovan glared at his chief. "Oh yeah, that's a _great_ idea. Just _give_ the Enforcers something to chew on!" He rolled his eyes. "Do it at night if you have to, just don't kill anyone unless you're fired on. Hide any bodies well enough that it'll take a while for anyone to find out someone shot something. Do you get me, soldier?"

The chief saluted. "Sir!"

Donovan nodded and turned back toward the blank white board at the far end of the board room. "These are only minor setbacks. We planned for them, now all we have to do is execute. So go execute, security chief."

The tom walked out of the board room, leaving Donovan with his thoughts.

He wouldn't let this stop him. They would handle this little annoyance, and the symphony would continue undeterred. Perhaps Calico Briggs could still be convinced to concede the race after all, he still knew of a few points of leverage he could manipulate. The tiger closed his eyes again, took a deep breath. Only silence greeted his ears this time, but that was just fine with him.

He'd go back to listening to the sweet music of victory later. Right now, it was time to think, and plan.

And wait.

* * *

**Chapter 06—**_**Darkness Rises**_

Well damn. This is not good at all.

You know what, I think I like crime fics. I'm actually getting good at it! At least, I think so. It's hard not to love plotting from the villain's perspective, especially when there's more than one villain! With that said, I'm kinda afraid for the good guys now. So many forces moving against them, and they're outgunned to boot. It's gonna be a long day for a lot of kats, that's for sure.

Regardless, no one's reviewed yet, but a few have added this story to their watch lists! So for those that have, welcome to the SWAT Kat Nation. If this is your first time here, stop by Endgame to find out how things got this way. Leave a review on that if you want. Then come back here and read the chapters all over again, so you can get the whole story.

Of course, that's only my suggestion. You can read this as-is and be just fine.

Now then, next chapter is gonna be a ton of kickass, I assure you. So if you want to be first in line for it, put this story on your watch list! Or not. Either way, the chapter's going up. Also, leave reviews. Because starving author is starving and needs encouragement. Seriously.

I'm going to go eat breakfast now.

Until next chapter, this is your Slayer.


	7. Chapter 7

Felina glared at the dead body of the security guard, a neat hole through the right side of his head. Blood still leaked from the wound cavity as the body attracted flies, and the stench of death permeated the lobby of the apartment building. Officers snapped pictures of the deceased tom as the Captain looked on, her face a mixture of frustration, stress, and mourning.

She glanced toward the guard's eyes, still closed. At least he died in his sleep. Felina smirked. Not such a bad way to go. He didn't have to see the gun pointed at him, or feel the bullet drill through his brain.

The grimace returned to her face as she searched the ground for any sort of markings left behind. Nothing. She bared her teeth. Bastard was smart enough not to make the same mistake twice. Smart, or lucky.

She pulled out a cell phone from her right outside pocket and started dialing in to headquarters, when the door to the stairwell opened up. A breathless officer, wide-eyed with shock, called out to Felina.

"Captain, upstairs!"

She strode toward the officer. "What's wrong?"

He started to climb back up the metal stairwell. "You gotta see this for yourself, ma'am."

He reached the third floor entrance and stepped through. Felina stopped in her tracks as she surveyed the hallway. Broken glass littered the floor, the shattered remains of light fixtures above her head.

Felina narrowed her eyes. "What in the hell…?" She entered the hallway, uncaring of how much she stepped on. "I don't want anyone on this floor leaving until we're done cleaning this up."

The officer nodded. "I'll tell the supervisor."

He started to leave when Felina put a hand on his right shoulder. "Not yet." She made her way toward the corner, flattened herself against the wall. "You're with me."

The tom nodded and followed Felina as she pulled her Glock from the concealed holster beneath her coat and turned the corner, weapon at the ready.

Nothing.

Felina waved the officer forward without looking behind her. "Take point. Keep your eyes peeled." For all they knew he could still be in the building, on this floor. She couldn't take any chances.

The officer, clad in navy blue, walked ahead of her, his footing cautious. He looked up toward the ceiling, raised an eyebrow at what he saw. "Hey, up top."

Felina looked up, her face turning curious. No more broken lights… Her eyes widened. "He stopped here." She looked toward the doors on either side of her. One of these two had something bad behind it. Only one way to know for sure. She turned toward the beat cop. "Take the left, I got the right. We both knock on three."

He set himself at the entrance. "Ready."

Felina nodded and turned toward her doorway. "Three!" She wasted no time in knocking and calling out, "Enforcers, open the door please!" She heard the tom behind her do the same, waited for any kind of response. Behind her, she heard bolts unlocking. She turned to find herself in front of a middle-aged tom with red-and-orange fur. "Can I help you guys with—_whoa_, what the hell?"

Felina nodded. "My words exactly." She turned around again and took two steps away from her door. "Get back inside, sir." Before he could respond, she kicked the door in with her left boot, just above the doorknob. "_Go_!"

The beat officer moved in first and Felina came in right behind him, her weapon leveled toward any shadow that wanted to jump at her. They made their way through the living room, past the kitchen, toward the hallway.

"Search the place." Please do not let this be what she thought it was…

The officer took the first room to the right, while Felina headed a few feet further down the hallway, took the door to her left. She tested the doorknob, found it unlocked, and opened the door with her left shoulder.

Felina swept the room with her eyes. Nothing overturned, nothing broken. "Clear!"

"Clear, moving up," came from behind her as the officer proceeded down the hallway.

The smell of blood assaulted Felina's senses, making the hairs on her tail stand on end. "Shit!" She stepped in front of the officer, opened the door… and lowered her weapon as she saw exactly what she didn't want to. Her eyes squeezed shut, trying to block the image out.

"_Holy crap_!" The officer took a few steps back, utter shock on his face.

Felina pressed her left index finger and thumb to the inside corners of her eyes. The two worst words that could ever run through her mind reared their ugly heads, ringing through her ears.

Double homicide.

She shook her head and forced her eyes to open, taking in the sight of the dead queen with brown hair that was starting to show hints of gray, her expression at rest. This fucker killed _her_ while asleep too. Felina holstered her Glock, pulled out the phone again. "Get outta here and tell the supervisor that this is now a crime scene. No one in or out without going through me first."

The officer shook his head to clear the fog and made his way out of the apartment as fast as he could go.

Felina put the phone to her right ear. No Crime Scene Unit this time, not yet. She was at her wits end with this case. A tom that could come and go as he pleased, two dead kats, thousands of dollars in stolen and destroyed property, and an entire apartment complex that would be bathed in fear and resentment for the next few weeks.

No, the first place she called was headquarters. "This is Captain Felina Feral. Priority One call for the Commander. And if he's not there, you damn well better get me someone with some weight."

They couldn't solve this. She knew someone who could. And now was the time to get them to work.

* * *

**Kanto the Slayer** presents

A _SWAT Kats_ Fanfiction

_**MegaKat Shield**_

* * *

"No."

Felina stood silent as the word sank in. Her hands tightened at her sides into fists, the urge to knock her uncle senseless pounded through her head. "You can't be serious, uncle."

He grimaced. "First of all, I am _not_ your uncle while you're in this office, or on the job. You'll address me as _Commander_, no matter how pissed off you are." He stood from his desk, arms behind his back and chest pushed out. "Second, I never want to see those two again. Sadly, I can't lock them up without any evidence, and they haven't really done anything wrong as of late. But what I _can_ do is make sure those loose cannons never step into a police station again."

"Loose cannons?" Felina strode toward his desk and slammed her hands down onto it. "They were doing their damn _job_!"

"All right, let's stop it right there." Benjamin Lynx tried to intervene before someone actually fired someone or walked out. "Felina, explain the situation again, and try to do it without getting too irritated. I know this is a hard case, but you could at least be rational in trying to tell us what's wrong."

Felina tried not to level her glare toward the Lieutenant Commander as she closed her eyes, took a few calming breaths. "Okay…" She opened her eyes, her gaze still intense. "We got a double homicide, one security guard and a female in her mid-fifties dead. Shot in their sleep. No security alarms tripped. No broken glass besides on the third floor. He took the lights out with his gun up to a certain point before entering the apartment in question."

Feral sat back down. "Anything taken from the scene?"

She shrugged. "I have the Crime Scene Unit on-site, looking for anything out of place. They haven't turned up with anything so far. Dr. Konway is in the biotech lab now, looking at the deceased kats. We'll find out who they were soon enough and notify their families." Felina shook her head, ran her right hand along her forehead. "We have no idea where this kat will turn up next, or how he's able to do what he does. All I know is that he can do what he wants until we find that out. And right now…"

Benny finished the sentence for her. "…There's no way to tell that."

Felina tried not to sigh. "He's broken into two cars, a gun store, and an apartment building without so much as anyone even seeing him. That means we can't interview any witnesses, which means we have no case. Only things we can identify are the gun, the caliber of bullets he uses, and the shoes on his feet."

Feral's expression turned stiff. "He could have changed those by now, too."

Felina paused for a moment, eyes wide. God damn it, he was right! She growled and slammed on the desk again. "I _hate_ this case!"

Benny cleared his throat. "Felina, calm down." He looked toward the Commander. "She's got a point here. This kat's put us in between a rock and a hard place very quickly. If we don't get this solved, and soon, we'll be too deep in crap to ever get rid of the smell."

Feral groaned. "I know that! Just bring _anyone_ onto the case but them!"

Felina glared at him again. "Oh, is that because they might disobey orders for the sake of the greater good again? Afraid they'll try to steal your thunder a second time?" She leaned further forward, trying to kill him with her eyes. "What exactly are you being so damn bullheaded about, _Commander_?"

"I don't want my officers getting the wrong idea." He leaned back in his seat, arms folded in front of his chest. "Disobeying orders like they did will get you killed. They set a bad example by not getting out of my way when I told them to. Apparently, they've affected you as well, because you're barking at me."

Felina bared her teeth. She'd had enough of this crap. "So help me, if you don't do the right thing on this, I will walk out again, and _never_ come back."

The Commander nodded. "I'm willing to live with that this time."

Benny stood and knocked twice on his desk. "Hey, enough!" His ears twitched. "I don't wanna play referee forever on this! Felina, get over here."

The Captain was all too happy to push off of her uncle's desk and walk over to Benny's. "Tell me _you_ understand."

He nodded. "I do. I really do. But try to look at it like this, okay?" He sat back down with a heavy sigh. "It's gonna take a while to get them back onto the force, up to three days. By that time, this kat will have struck three more times, maybe more. The longer we wait, the more time we lose." He leaned forward, elbows on the table. "I need to know how sure you are of this before we actually do it."

Commander Feral glanced toward his Lieutenant. "That better be a joke, Lynx."

"It wasn't, Ulysses." He looked back over at him, his face stern. "I told you once that there were two kinds of detectives. Do you remember what I said?"

Feral's brows frowned for a few moments as his mind tried to recall that conversation. He shook his head after five seconds. "I don't."

Benny sighed and adjusted his cap. "The first kind of detective goes by the book and follows the script to the letter. He makes sure he does everything right first before doing the right thing. This is your kind of cop, the kind that follows your orders."

The big tom nodded. "I'd rather it stay that way."

Felina almost hissed at him. "Do _not_ make me come over there and bite at you!"

"I'm not done, so _back to your corners_!"

They both looked at him, their faces in shock. Felina's ears twitched as if confused at what they just heard. "Benny? You've never yelled at me before."

He shrugged and glanced at her from the corner of his right eye. "You never deserved it before. Now be quiet and listen. This's for you, too." He looked toward Feral again. "The second kind of detective… the kind you call a loose cannon… is the kind that follows procedure up to a certain point. But when procedure becomes restrictive, when the rules no longer apply, they make their own. They make sure they do the right thing, and as long as they aren't responsible for loss of life, they'll go to any lengths to get the job done."

Benny paused for a few seconds to let the message sink in. "Do the rules apply here, Commander Feral?"

The Commander glowered at him. "…No. This kat can pass through walls. Felina wasn't kidding when she said he can do whatever he wants unless we fix this."

The Lieutenant shrugged. "Then you know what to do, like it or not." He stood with a grunt of exertion. "If it makes you feel any better, I'll come with you to make sure you don't have a heart attack." He looked toward Felina. "You wanna take care of the little guy while we handle the big one?"

Felina turned toward the doors and made her way out, her coat flowing behind her. "It's already done, sir."

Once she vanished behind the doors, Commander Feral growled. "Why them?"

Benny started to make his way out as well. "Because they're the best, whether you want to admit it or not. If anyone can close this one, they can."

* * *

A black sedan, unmarked and devoid of license plates, idled outside of the Westbrook Apartments. The driver, a burly tom dressed in a black overcoat and a pair of dark shades, stared toward the front doors as if willing a specific kat to exit. His partner, sitting to his right, leaned back in his seat, eyes closed as if asleep.

"She's not gonna come out this early," he said without looking toward the driver.

The driver shrugged. "Doesn't matter, we wait until she does." He yawned. "I need some coffee."

The second kat, somewhat slimmer than his comrade, opened his left eye to peer toward him. "You always need some damn coffee. You just had some an hour ago and you're still tired." He closed his eye again. "You really need to get more sleep if that's the case. Y'know, like me."

The driver smirked. "If I slept as long as you do most of the time, I'd be dead." He pulled out a pair of binoculars from the depths of his coat and brought them to his eyes. "Hey… something's happening."

The slimmer tom opened his eyes, adjusted his dark blue cotton sweatshirt, and pulled the hood over his ears to hide the earpiece in his right ear. "Is it her?"

"See for yourself." The wheelman handed the binoculars over to his partner.

The tom in the sweat shirt grabbed the binoculars and peered out through them. His eyes widened at what he saw. "Whoa… didn't expect her to be this hot."

Calico Briggs stood in front of the glass doors in a slim-fitting pink sweat suit with white trim, white runners on her feet. Her blond hair sparkled in the sun as if she'd just brushed it. She stretched her arms above her head, face twisting with the effort for a few seconds before she relaxed.

The tom snapped back to reality when he felt a smack on the back of his head. "Don't stare for too long or else your eyes will fall outta your head, moron."

He turned around to meet the big tom's unflinching stare. "Follow her. Try to do it without making googly-eyes, okay numbskull?" The driver turned to face forward again. "I'm going after Snowshoe."

The slim tom nodded and handed the big guy back his binoculars. "I'll be in touch."

* * *

Callie bent down to reach for her toes, taking her time with the stretch.

The black car, across the street. Something didn't feel right about it. She sensed it from the moment she was six feet away from the lobby's glass doors. She bent her back and neck until her head touched her knees, lengthening the stretch at the back of her thighs. Only way to know for sure was to move, and see what happened.

She straightened out from her stretch, rolled her neck. Enough sitting around, time to go. She stuck a pair of ear buds into her ears as a random song started to play and got moving, trying to keep her steps in time with the beat. She kept her senses extended, tried to find what was out of place.

The back of her mind picked something up as soon as she moved a good twenty yards from the entrance to the apartment building. Car door opened, front right side. Callie smirked as someone got out and started to follow her. She already knew what was happening, who this kat worked for. She couldn't even read minds and she still knew why someone wanted to tail her. She jogged around the corner, down the sidewalk, the poor idiot still following her. He didn't even know she'd already made him.

Callie glanced around, tried to find some kind of distraction to use or alternate route to take. She had to lose him, try to get something between her and her stalker. She rounded the next corner, looked across the street, beyond two lanes of traffic. There, an alley. She headed for the crosswalk nearby, hit the signal and jogged in place as she waited for the light to turn.

The tom stopped as well and tried to make himself scarce.

Callie almost laughed. Too obvious.

The walk signal turned white and she headed across as cars made their way along the road, stopped as one took a right turn, kept moving as soon as the way was clear again. Her tracker still shadowed her. Perfect. Time to throw a wrench into his well-oiled machine…

She didn't head into the nearby alley, but turned left a ways, letting him get behind her again. She had to be in direct line of sight for a little longer. Callie headed straight for a few more feet, saw another alley from the corner of her right eye and turned into it, vanishing around the corner.

Time for some magic.

She sprinted for the dumpster ahead, sprang onto the lid, and faced the brick wall behind her. Two steps toward the wall, plant the right foot, kick up, three more and jump! Her fingers gripped onto the edge of the rooftop and she used her momentum to pull herself up, kicked her right leg behind her and brought her legs underneath her body.

Time elapsed, six seconds.

She lay flat on her back, breathing hard, her aura still stretched as far as it could go.

"…What the _hell_?"

Callie had to stop herself from making even a snigger, a hand over her mouth.

The tom removed his hood and put his hand to his right ear. "Hey uh… I lost her." He grimaced as if someone yelled at him through the earpiece. "I don't fucking _know_! One minute I was behind her, _perfectly_ fine, then she just up and… _vanished_!" He turned toward the sidewalk, ran a hand along the top of his head. "Well don't ask me how she knew, we did everything right!"

She stayed still, breathless and lifeless.

The tom shrugged. "Yeah, come pick me up. I can't find her. We'll go after the other one together, more chances of finding out where they do business." He hung up, shook his head as he walked back toward the street. "How the hell did she make me? I was far enough away…"

Callie grimaced. Well if nothing else did, that confirmed it. She pulled out her cell phone from one of the front pouches of her top and slid it open. Her thumbs flew across the keyboard as she sent a mass text to everyone on her team.

'All points, be advised. Bogies are on the prowl, will act as shadows. Randomize your movements and lose stalkers via any means necessary. Do not let anyone you don't know follow you to the office. Briggs.'

She closed her phone and put it away as her subconscious picked up the black car from before. The tom got in and closed the door, and after a few seconds, the car left the scene. She finally let out the breath she held and stood from her prone position, her eyes trained on the vehicle as it headed off toward Snowy.

"Nice try, guys."

She turned toward the rooftop behind her, sprinted toward the edge, and leapt over the gap between the two buildings. Callie rolled over her right shoulder and moved on, headed toward her usual breakfast spot. As she sprinted across the rooftop, she felt a buzz from her right pouch. She turned right, launched herself to the next roof, landed with her hands gripping the top and her toes on the wall. Callie hung there with her left hand as she reached into her front pouch and flipped the phone open.

She smiled at all the affirmatives she read before closing the phone, putting it away, and setting her right hand on the edge of the roof again. Well, now he'd have to try something else, wouldn't he? She pulled herself up and went on with her day.

* * *

Chance groaned as the Wildcats missed another basket, his right hand rubbing his forehead. He sat on the edge of his couch, tail high and ears twitching frantically. Come on, defense. Don't let these punks get in the paint. He took another bite out of his sandwich, uncaring of what spilled onto the porcelain plate in his lap.

He'd given up on finding out who Donovan worked for or why he was even against Callie in the first place. He and Jake had no badges, no influence, and nothing but little pieces of evidence here and there. Hell, it was just a military dossier and nothing more! They had a face, a name, a description, but no hard evidence of election fraud. Well, except for the fact that Manx won all those times when he really shouldn't have.

Besides, the little guy was right. They couldn't go chasing shadows all the time. Life was calling for the first time in a while, and they had to answer the phone.

The Ashton Nobles called a time out and Chance settled back against the cushions of his leather couch. Okay, good. Take a breather, guys. There had to be some way out of this ten-point deficit—the doorbell sounded, interrupting his focus. Chance groaned as he removed the plate from his lap, set it on the coffee table, and headed for the front door. "Coming!"

Better be good.

He padded across the carpet in his socks, a pair of black cotton sweatpants on his legs and a close-fitting dark brown t-shirt tucked into the waistband. He looked through the peephole and almost growled at what he saw. "Crap."

Commander Feral stood at the entrance, his hands behind his back as if he were the most patient tom in the world. Chance ground his teeth together. If there were anyone he didn't want in here, it was that bastard. He took a closer look and saw Benny in front of the big tom. Chance rolled his eyes and stepped away from the peephole, unlocked the deadbolts. Might as well see what was up.

Chance opened the door and leveled a blank look toward the two toms. "Can I do something to help you?" His tone was neutral, unassuming. Best not to get too pissed too early. Let it be Feral's fault before he kicked him out.

Benny smiled and answered first. "Actually, yes there is. Can we come in?"

Chance stepped aside with a shrug. "Go for it. Just take your shoes off before you walk on the carpet."

Benny looked around at the place with a raised eyebrow. "Well, this is certainly a step up from that dingy garage." He glanced over at the TV. "Wildcats game, huh? Who's winning?"

Chance grimaced. "Nobles. Our guys are terrible today, and it's the third quarter." He sat on the couch and leaned back into the cushions again. "I'm gonna assume you're not here for just basketball, though… since the almighty Commander is here too."

He heard a growl from behind the couch. "Trust me, this is the last place I want to be. This is all Lynx's idea, not mine." Feral sat in the loveseat, arms folded in front of him. "I don't even want to know how you were able to get this place, since you weren't even being paid enough to cover expenses at the salvage yard."

Ah, there. First blood. Chance smirked without sparing a glance at his former fearless leader. "Well you know me, I tend to be resourceful. Unlike you, Mr. Chopper Backup." He chuckled. "How much air support have you lost over the years, Commander?"

Feral growled. "Do _not_ test me."

Chance shrugged. "Just saying."

"All right, break it up." Benny sighed. "I don't want to have to moderate this forever, so let's get to the point." He sat next to Chance and leaned forward, hands clasped in his lap. "We have a situation, one that requires your unique skill set." He shook his head. "I'm not gonna lie, the Enforcers are screwed. We're understaffed from several bad tactical and strategic decisions. People who I'm not gonna name here are responsible for that."

Chance nodded. "I already know who they are."

The Commander rolled his eyes. "Rub it in, why don't you."

Benny glanced over to the big tom. "Hush, you. I'm not done." He looked toward Chance. "We need good officers and detectives, kats who aren't afraid to do what it takes to keep this city safe. From your track record and Clawson's, you two were the best. Hell, I think you still are." His gaze turned steely, calculating. "We could use your help on this."

Chance sat silent for all of three seconds before he reached for the remote on the coffee table and muted the television. "Depends on what 'this' is…"

* * *

"Double homicide."

Jake's eyes widened. "Damn… _already_?"

Felina nodded, sat down on the bed in the guest bedroom, also known as Jake Clawson's office. "Yeah, already." She flopped down on the bed. "He killed both the rent-a-cop and the old queen in their sleep. They didn't stand a chance."

The slim tom grimaced as he put his computer to sleep, turned toward Felina in his swivel chair. "So he's using the same MO, just with a different motive. And you guys can't talk to witnesses, because no one saw him come or go." Jake bowed his head, eyes closed in thought. "You got their names? Any sort of identification?"

Felina shook her head. "Not yet. It's coming, though."

Jake nodded. "Save it until we get there."

Felina's eyes widened and she bolted upright, staring at Jake with a stunned expression. "You mean you're gonna do it?" She beamed. "I _knew_ I could count on you guys!"

Jake opened his eyes, his face soft and resigned. "Not so fast, Felina. _I'm_ game, but if you're talking about Chance, I don't think he'll be up for it. Your uncle screwed us both over once, and he's afraid the big guy will do it again. Hell, so am I." The slim tom looked up at Felina. "I want insurance for when that happens."

Felina nodded. "Tell me what you need."

* * *

"I want my old rank back, including benefits and my spot on the flight roster."

Feral grimaced. "Out of the question. You start from zero."

Chance shrugged and sat back, hands behind his head. "Then to hell with your case. We'll see if the Enforcers can _really_ handle this without the SWAT Kats."

Benny groaned. "Come on Feral, gimme a break! We _talked_ about this!"

He looked toward his Lieutenant with a stern glare. "I will _not_ give in to coercion!" He turned his glare toward Chance. "You're going to accept this as it is, or we're leaving. What's it gonna be?"

Chance smirked. He had no idea, did he? "Feral, you screwed us over." He raised a hand to stop him from speaking. "No, admit it. You fucked us, royally. That crash was your fault, and you pinned it on us to save face. Now you come here and beg for me to help you?" The big tom shook his head. "If you're gonna do that, I want _everything_ you stole from us _back_."

Feral stared at Chance, slack-jawed. "…Stole?" He ground his teeth together. "We're leaving, Lieutenant. Now." He stood and started to make his way for the exit.

Chance grinned. Figured it would end this way. "Don't let the door hit you on your way out!"

Benny shook his head. "He's leaving, but I'm not."

Feral stopped in his tracks, his tail stiff and his ears pointed straight up. "Consider it an order, then."

The Lieutenant shrugged. "We talked about this, Feral. We agreed on it. You gonna tell me you're a liar?" He chuckled. "Enforcers do a lot of things wrong, but we don't lie. That's not in the code, is it?"

He turned toward the two toms on the couch, pointed accusingly at Chance. "It's _his_ fault! He's calling me a _thief_, like I'm some common criminal!"

Benny nodded. "Yes, he did. It might have been wrong to say…" He looked over his right shoulder, his face resigned. "…But it rings true."

Silence permeated the room for all of ten seconds. Chance shook his head and stood. "If you're gonna stand there, lemme make it clear for you." He walked around the couch and strode toward Feral, stopping just six inches in front of him. "I want it all back. This is my life we're talking about, and you stole that." His voice was a dangerously low pitch, ready to explode at any moment. "Give me my life back, and I'll give you this tom on a silver platter. Don't…" He shrugged. "…And we'll see if you really can hack it without backup."

Five seconds passed without a word between them.

"Done." Feral turned toward the door, the hem of his coat swinging behind him. "You're back on the flight list after an evaluation, but you two start as detectives _immediately_." He started to make his way out. "I want this done and over with, yesterday."

Chance nodded. "Just one more thing, there…"

Feral groaned. "What now?"

Chance paused to gather his thoughts. "If you screw the two of us over again…" His eyes narrowed as he tried to punch a hole through the Commander with his green eyes. "We're not leaving quietly this time. I'm gonna make your life hell before I go."

Feral shrugged and kept on walking. "It's already hell enough. What could you do that's worse?" He put his boots back on and left the apartment, slammed the door closed.

Chance grimaced. "He's gonna break the door like that."

Benjamin Lynx stood, brushing invisible dirt off of his coat. "He does tend to do rash things when he's pissed." He walked toward Chance and stopped just in front of him, extending his right hand. "Welcome back, Detective Furlong."

Chance looked down at Benny's extended arm for two seconds before he grabbed the outstretched paw with his own right hand, but instead of shaking, he pulled the middle-aged tom into a hug.

"Thanks for this. I'll never forget it."

* * *

**Chapter 07—**_**Double or Nothing**_

It's funny how sometimes reviewers can predict the fates of characters.

Now this doesn't mean the SWAT Kats are back, nor does it mean that I planned this around a single review. But it does mean Chance and Jake are on the case. And you know by now how they operate. Also, Callie is awesome. I made her that way, and this chapter was a brief flash of that awesome. I promise I'll be displaying more of it as time goes by, so keep your eyes glued to your screens!

With that said, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed this story so far, as well as those who added Endgame to their favorites just recently! Even after it's over, there's no end to the mania. I'm kinda proud of the work I'm doing here with this cartoon, and I'm gonna keep going until the wheels fall off. Or there's another SK show. Then I'm going to have to do some more research.

So guys, you want to see more, hmm? Then review! Of course, this story will continue to the end, regardless of whether people review or not, but it'd help a ton as to feedback. I'm not going to go into another rant about authors and reader feedback; you guys know my stance on that by now. Just review, tell me what you think.

Until next time, this is your Slayer.


	8. Chapter 8

Doctor Robert Konway stood with an iPad in his right hand, checking a progress bar. The corpses lay in glass chambers, white scanners atop the cases passing emerald-green lasers over them. After two scans, once down and once back up, the process completed and showed up on the computer in Konway's hands. He put his glasses on and started face-matching.

His eyes narrowed as pictures of thousands of kats slid down along the right side of the screen, six matching points marked in green circles on the two faces that he needed to match. Robert lowered the screen with a sigh. "I can see this is going to take a while."

He walked over to the rounds and shell casings the Crime Scene Unit had recovered from the apartment, the hem of his white lab coat swaying slightly as he walked. "Well we already know what you little guys are about." Twenty three bullets sat in a circular tray, the metal deformed from impacting walls, lights, and soft tissue. Robert picked one of them up with a sigh. "Shame he used them this way instead of the way they should be used."

"That's why we need to do something about this."

Doctor Konway looked up toward the voice, beaming when he saw its owner. "Captain Feral, good afternoon!"

Felina smiled as she entered, the glass doors to the biotech lab closing behind her. "Doc. Any good news on those IDs?"

Robert tossed the mangled bullet back in with its companions with another sigh. "No, I just started a few minutes ago. And it's going to take a bit before we get results on that, as always." He peeled the gloves off and put them back where he found them. "Fortunately, unless their licenses don't exist, which is just about impossible, we should be able to find out in a few minutes, hour tops."

Felina nodded. "Good. I have a few kats who need to see this stuff."

"The families, yes." He walked back over to the scanners. "I grieve for them the most here."

Felina followed just behind him. "Not just them." She pulled a cell phone out of the carrier on her duty belt and speed-dialed a specific number. "It's me. We're almost ready in here. Come on in, guys."

Seconds after she hung up, the glass doors slid open. Doctor Konway looked toward the soft hiss, only for him to almost drop his iPad. The doctor stood stock still as the toms walked toward him, all jeans and t-shirts, jackets and combat boots. The lights overhead glinted off the mirrored surface of a pair of aviator shades on the bigger of the two.

"My God…" He took a few steps forward, stopped after he moved two feet. "How long has it been since you two were in here?"

The slim tom chuckled. "Too long, Doc. Way too long."

Robert grinned and strode forward, his right hand extended. "Who let you two crazy bastards back on the force?"

Chance Furlong smiled as he took the outstretched hand and shook it. "You'd be surprised. But let's save the explanation for later, we're here for business." He straightened his jacket, cleared his throat. "Give us what you got."

Doctor Konway looked back down at the computer in his left hand. "We don't have much yet. The process is still going." He looked back up at Chance. "By the way, you got a badge I can look at?"

"No, they're on this case provisionally. But I'll give them one once they finish this. Which they will." Felina folded her arms in front of her. "Of course, if you don't give them what they need, they'll never get it done. So please…"

The doctor shrugged and looked back down. "Hang on while this damn thing finishes, then. It should be any second—ah, there." The computer beeped and he handed it to the big tom. "Have at you."

Chance nodded and peered at the results. His eyes widened as he looked at the dead queen's profile. "Well this is new… she worked at MASA." He looked toward Jake. "I figure we're onto something already."

Jake nodded and looked at the screen. "Question is… what?"

"Well, only one way to find out, Jake." Chance gave the computer back to the doctor. "We're gonna have a little chat with the kats who hired her. Thanks, Doc."

Konway nodded. "Just glad we have some sanity back among us for a change."

* * *

**Kanto the Slayer** presents

A _SWAT Kats_ Fanfiction

_**MegaKat Shield**_

* * *

Chance sighed as he settled into Jake's car and buckled up. "So…" He looked toward the driver's side. "What are we gonna do about Callie?"

Jake shrugged. "Well we start looking for anyone who has a stake in Mayor Manx winning this thing. No one whose pockets get lighter when he's out of office will let him leave that chair so easily. Once we find out who those kats are, we get _them_ to tell us where Donovan is."

Chance faced the road again. "Follow the money, huh?"

Jake nodded. "Follow the money." He started the engine and pulled away from the curb in front of Enforcer Tower. "That, or cut it off. We find out where they're keeping their funds and freeze 'em. If they can't use the cash, they can't run the campaign."

Chance smirked. "You're evil sometimes, Jake. I'm just glad you're on the right side, or else we'd all be in trouble." He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, his hands behind his head. "Before we do all that though, we gotta solve this thing first. Like you said, we can't just go in without badges, and we don't have ours back yet."

Jake grimaced as he pulled a left turn. "Feral said we only get our jobs back if we close this case. When I look back at it, I kinda expected him to hold this whole thing hostage until he got what he wanted." He shook his head. "He doesn't know how bad we need it."

Chance scoffed, opened his left eye to glance toward the slim tom. "He wouldn't _care_ what we needed, even if it was a matter of life and death." He closed the eye and tried to relax again. "Not like it matters. We're gonna get it done anyways, with his help or not." Chance yawned, his right hand covering his mouth. "Tell me when we get there, huh? I need a nap."

Jake smirked. "You always need a nap."

They reached the MASA facilities after three hours of driving across town and pulled up to the high-rise office complex located at the east side of the property. Chance and Jake walked in and stopped at the receptionist's desk, where a brown-haired she-kat in her mid-twenties with a grey suit jacket and a black top typed at a keyboard. Chance cleared his throat, trying to get her attention. "I need to speak to the kat in charge of hiring."

She looked up from her monitor. "We're not hiring right now, sir." She smiled apologetically. "But if you could leave your resume with me, we'll contact you once a position…"

Chance shook his head. "We're not here for that." He pulled out his wallet, opened it, and pulled out what served as a badge for now, a business card with his name and the Enforcer logo on it. "Detective Chance Furlong, this is my partner, Jake Clawson. We're here to ask your boss a few questions, if he's got time."

She blinked after taking a good look at the card. "I'll… see if the Administrator is available." She nodded toward some chairs just across from her desk. "Take a seat, please."

They walked over and sat in the comfortable cotton cushions. Chance leaned over toward Jake as the receptionist picked up a phone and dialed in. "Didn't know the top guy here was responsible for hiring people."

Jake shrugged. "He's not. But he knows each and every kat that works here on a first-name basis. This is the guy we need to talk to, for sure." Jake leaned back in his chair. "Only question is, is he here or not?"

"He is." The receptionist smiled toward the detectives. "Top floor, he's waiting for you."

Chance and Jake stood, the big tom nodding toward the she-kat. "Thanks. We won't be long."

They headed toward a nearby elevator and made their way up, scientists in white lab coats entering and exiting on occasion. They reached the top floor offices, headed toward the final doorway at the end of the hall. Chance knocked on the door and a voice called from the other side. "It's open, please come in."

They opened the door, revealing a white board room with the same carpeting as the hallway. Stylized white swivel chairs with blue cushions lined either side of the table with the Administrator at the far end, wearing a dark blue suit with a black cotton dress shirt and silver neck tie. The brown-furred, brown-haired tom stood and extended his left hand. "Detectives, welcome. What can I do for you today?"

Chance and Jake shook his hand in turns, and then sat on either side of the kat in charge. Chance pulled out a manila folder and slid it over to the tom in the suit. "Take a look."

The Administrator opened the folder, his eyes widening as he stared at the photos inside. "What… what's this?" He looked up from the folder at Chance. "I just saw Samantha yesterday!"

Chance nodded. "We found her in her apartment, a single shot through the head. Followed up on her file and it led us here." He leaned forward, propped his elbows on the table. "When did you hire her?"

The tom shrugged. "Four years ago, give or take. She was one of our physicists. Brilliant mind, sweet disposition." His hands trembled atop the manila folder. "It's… difficult to see her like this." He snuffled, struggled to contain himself. "What do you need from me? I'll do anything I can to help find who did this."

Chance grunted his acknowledgement. "I appreciate it. First things first, did she have any enemies among her co-workers? Anyone jealous of her or a rival with her?"

The tom in the suit shook his head. "No, she was cordial to everyone. Whenever a difference came up, she settled it on the spot. Figured any discord was unproductive to the scientific process."

Chance nodded. "Good, because I damn sure don't feel like questioning _everyone_ here." He bowed his head in thought for a few seconds. "Anything sensitive she was working on?"

The Admin ran a hand along his forehead. "I don't know… But I could look it up for you. I'm sure her name should pop up somewhere, even if it is a black project." He sighed, his ears drooping. "She just came into work the other day as usual…"

Jake reached over and squeezed the tom's right shoulder. "We'll get this guy." He stood and stretched his arms over his head. "Can you get that info while we're here? We'll camp out if we have to."

Chance shot a glare toward Jake. "Um, no we won't. I'd rather be in my own bed tonight, thanks."

Jake chuckled. "I was joking, bud."

The Admin blinked for a few moments, and then laughed, despite himself. "I'm glad you two can keep your sense of humor during all this." He pressed in a button underneath the table and two hidden panels opened, revealing a keyboard and a flat screen. "It shouldn't take long to access all the files related to her work. Let me get them for you right now, before you leave."

He started typing on the keyboard, peering at the screen every so often. His eyes narrowed as he came across something that had restricted access written all over it, tried to type in his password. The computer buzzed a fail alarm, and again when he tried a second time. "Crap… I think I found it, but I can't get access." He leaned back in his seat, folded his arms in front of him. "Doubt I can get in without the proper code."

Jake walked toward the computer. "Well then let me give it a shot. You mind?"

The Administrator moved out of the way. "Be my guest. If you think you can get around this, please…"

Jake sat in the chair, stretched his arms in front of him until he heard his joints pop. "All right, let's see what we got." He opened up the command window and started typing, his fingers an untraceable blur as they flew across the keyboard. "Security should be standard for a government agency, shouldn't be too hard to crack."

The tom behind him raised an eyebrow. "And… you've broken into one of these before?"

Jake nodded. "Only because I had to. That's a long story, though." Seconds turned to a minute as he sat and typed, without another word spoken. Two minutes, then three, but after that he was in. Jake nodded, closed the window, and typed in a password entirely different from the one the Admin used. The password screen closed and text began to fly across the screen.

Jake's eyes widened at what he saw. "Holy crap…" He looked over his right shoulder. "Did you know about this?"

The tom shook his head. "No, I did not." He pointed at the date. "This was before I was sworn in. Project's dead now, cut off from funding. Apparently, it was research into inter-dimensional travel." He leaned closer, his eyes narrowing at what he saw. "And they accomplished it…"

Chance's ears perked as the conversation carried on, his eyes closed and arms folded in front of his chest. "What's it say about the thing?"

The Admin peered at the data. "A team of researchers and engineers was assembled by the previous administration to look into exploring other dimensional planes and putting their findings to practical use. They built a door of sorts, a gateway that would theoretically allow them to pass into one of them, didn't matter which one."

Jake nodded. "The first time you try something, any kind of result is acceptable."

"Exactly." The kat cleared his throat and continued. "They succeeded, but apparently the plane was not exactly all that different from ours. Same city, same lights, same streets. But there was a difference in the fact that there seemed to be an absence of color."

Chance leaned back in his chair. "Like one of those old noir films, right?"

Jake shrugged. "Wouldn't be surprised." He picked up where the kat in the suit left off. "Their tech was intact when they walked through, which was the first thing they needed to test. Of course, they did all sorts of stuff to figure out what was what, but they had to drop what they were doing after one of the interns went missing. They couldn't find him for three months, and once the government got wind of it…"

Chance nodded. "That's all I needed to hear." He leaned forward, his eyes good and open. "I want a list of all the kats that worked on this project, now. The one that's missing from real life is our mark, and everyone else is now officially a moving target."

Jake's cell phone decided to intrude at that point, and he plucked it from the inside pocket of his denim jacket. "Clawson." His eyes widened as he heard Felina say the last thing he wanted to hear. "Hang on…" He lowered the phone from his right ear and looked toward Chance with distress all over his face. "We're gonna have to cross another name off of that list once we get it."

Chance hissed and shoved himself out of his seat. "_Shit_! What a way to get our jobs back…" He pointed toward the tom in the dark blue suit. "Get us those names!" He damn near sprinted out of the room.

Jake fished a business card out of his jeans and gave it to the Admin. "This is the number you need to fax it to. Thanks for your help." He didn't waste any time following Chance to the elevator. "This bastard sure doesn't waste any time!"

Chance growled, holding the doors for the lean tom. "I'm starting to see why Felina was pissed off at this case."

* * *

Two dead kats lay face down on the concrete floor of the warehouse, blood pooling onto the pavement. Each of their heads displayed a neat hole drilled through it, the mark of a .45 caliber bullet. The gun in Donovan's right hand still trailed smoke from the barrel as he looked down at the two with contempt.

He'd called his entire political team, from the lowest techie to his security personnel, to his campaign manager, just to watch this unfold.

"Get rid of them and clean up the blood."

Two guards for each tom jogged over and hefted the bodies, placing them into a pair of body bags nearby. They zipped them and carried them over toward the open trunks of two unmarked black vehicles. A fifth guard came over with a full-on clean up kit, including a cold fog disinfecting spray.

Donovan turned toward the gathered assembly. "I do not tolerate failure." He blew the smoke from the barrel of the Px4 Storm and put it back into the holster hidden in his suit jacket. "I told them not to come back without good news. They should have listened." He walked toward them, taking his time. "I trust I don't have to say anything. In fact, I won't have to do anything else. This was enough of a demonstration for you." His eyes narrowed as his gaze swept across his team. "Of course if it wasn't, I am willing to repeat myself. Is that clear?"

Several kats nodded in acknowledgement, while others on his campaign staff continued to stare in shock at the place the bodies used to be. Donovan peered toward those who had fear frozen on their faces and smirked. "That's right. Be afraid. Be as afraid as you can. Let it motivate you to remain faithful. Because if anyone runs and tells the Enforcers, I will do this again, and again, for every one of you that acts as an inconvenience." He waved toward the elevator dismissively. "Go back to work."

The kats dispersed, some of them taking a few moments to shake themselves out of their stupor before heading back down to the command center. The security chief started to leave as well before Donovan stopped him with a hand on his right shoulder. "You're staying here."

"…Sir?"

Donovan sighed, shook his head. "I trust you, you know. More than anyone else." He smirked. "Hell, I don't trust anyone else _but_ you. You're simple, straightforward. You don't lie. I need at least one tom that won't lie to me."

The chief nodded. "I'm honored, sir."

Donovan turned the chief around. "I need to ask you if you believe them, those two kats that failed me."

The tom in gray fatigues and black tactical armor bowed his head in thought for a few seconds before shrugging. "There's no way to tell for sure. All I know is that I trained them in every procedure, down to the letter. If they were caught, it was through no act of theirs." He looked up at his boss. "Something is odd about Briggs."

Donovan raised an eyebrow. "Can you be sure of this?"

The tom with the buzz cut shook his head. "No. But this was not the fault of my kats."

The tiger nodded and headed toward his SUV. "I have an idea how to find out. Come with me."

They got into the Explorer and as Donovan started the engine, he began his explanation. "I want her house wiretapped."

The chief turned toward him, an eyebrow raised. "Sir?"

Donovan smirked. "I didn't stutter. I want someone in her apartment, rigging the place. Hidden cameras, hidden microphones, the whole setup." He pulled out of the warehouse and began to drive away from the Wharf District. "I know where she lives. I even know which apartment. The only thing you need to do is send someone to do it. Security may have been increased since my last visit, so make sure they have a reasonable alibi."

The black-haired tom nodded. "Anything else you need from the place?"

Donovan nodded. "I want a tracer in her cell phone. If we can't track her team on foot, there are other ways to find out where she holds her operations." He turned toward his chief. "You know what to do once we know that."

The chief grimaced. "Yes sir."

Donovan sighed. "I certainly hope what happened with trying to follow them does not happen here. Kats dying because of stupid things like that is so inefficient."

After two hours, he pulled up to the Westbrook Apartment complex. His eyes narrowed as two Enforcer cruisers sat nearby. "As I expected." He turned toward his chief. "If your man has to kill them, make sure he does it discreetly. I'd rather not have the building burning down." The tiger smirked. "Unless that becomes necessary, of course."

He pulled away from the curb across the street and began making his way back toward the command center. "We're sinking in the polls downtown." He grimaced as he pulled a left turn around the corner. "Briggs is gaining traction. These wiretaps will double as ammunition and leverage, so I need them put in as soon as you're prepared."

The chief leaned back in his seat. "That won't take long to do, sir."

Donovan shrugged. "See that it doesn't. And if your man fails me this time, I will have no compunctions in shooting both him and you. No matter how much I trust you."

* * *

Angela Snowshoe shrunk into her shoulders as she looked at the many outfits online for the upcoming night out with Penny and Callie. "This is ridiculous," she muttered as she looked at some of the costumes. "I'm supposed to wear something like that to this club?" She peered at the elaborate dresses, lace gloves, and high stockings. "God, I'm gonna regret this in the morning."

She shook her head and tried to pick something that she would at least be proud of the next morning. She raised an eyebrow at a black corset with a burgundy, calf-length skirt, a pair of elbow-length gloves with dark red accents, and open-toe heels. The longer she stared at it, the wider her eyes became. "This is… perfect." Angela beamed. "I love red and black."

"What about it do you like?"

Angela switched tabs to something actually important before turning around in her swivel chair and giving an innocent smile to Callie. "Oh, n-nothing in particular! I'm just used to wearing it, that's all!" She cleared her throat and flipped her hair. "I'm almost done with that e-mail to our subscribers. Should be enough to get more contributions if we tell them about our better numbers Downtown."

Callie nodded and walked away from the computer. "Well, keep up the good work."

The auburn-haired she-kat raised a hand, trying to stop the blond from leaving. "Wait!"

Callie stopped in her tracks. "Hmm?"

Snowy wrung her hands together as her mind made attempts to put her question together. "How did you know?"

Callie turned to face Angela. "Know what? About the fact that they'd try to follow us here?" She gave a subtle smile. "Pretty obvious when you think about it. But if you're talking about how I knew they were there when I wasn't even with you, I'm not telling."

The blond walked away, leaving Angela scratching the back of her head. "Quit speaking in riddles," she muttered as she turned back toward her screen and switched back to the costume store online. She licked her lips as she moused over to the buy now button underneath the costume. "This should be good enough."

She didn't notice someone else coming up behind her, a certain she-kat in all black. "Looks nice."

"Thanks a ton." Angela blinked after a few seconds, whipped around only to face Penny. Her eyes grew to the size of dinner plates as she realized what just happened. "Um… hi?"

The Goth chuckled. "I thought you considered this kinda thing creepy?"

Angela nodded so fast her hair bobbed. "I do!" She looked down at her lap. "But… But Callie's dress looked so _nice_ despite looking like she was ready for a casket… and you're not half bad, so…" She wrung her hands together, a blush showing on her cheeks. "So I figured… why not give it a shot. Y'know?"

Penny stood quiet for a few moments before she reached out and put her hand on Angela's right shoulder. "You'll love it."

Angela shook her head. "I don't know about that." She looked up at Penny, a determined cast to her expression. "But I'm gonna try it anyways." She turned back toward the screen and clicked on the purchase button. "If I don't like it, I'll at least be able to say it was because I saw it for myself."

The Goth wore a smirk. "You sounded like my mom just then."

Snowy raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Penny nodded. "She had this saying. If something smells bad, try it anyway. Your taste buds may agree where your nose doesn't."

The redhead smiled. "I wish I had your mom. Where is she now?"

Penny shrugged and leaned toward the monitor. "I'd rather not talk about it." She peered at the dress for a few seconds before she scoffed. "On second thought, that's not gonna cut it."

Angela stopped what she was doing, her hairs standing on end. "…W-why not?"

Penny grimaced. "Someone else has that gimmick." She reached over to move Angela's hand from the mouse. "Besides, now that I look at it, it's trashy. Let's get you something classy."

Snowy put both hands over her eyes, trying not to see what her friend had in mind. "Oh God…"

"Relax, just remember that saying." Penny licked her lips as she browsed through the outfits. "This might smell bad, and even look a little funny, but…" She grinned as she found something and clicked on the image. "…It tastes divine."

Angela peeked out from behind her impromptu blinders and her eyes widened again as she saw the picture before her. "…Wow." Her voice was soft, in awe. "I didn't know stuff like this was here." She looked over at Penny from the corner of her left eye. "I want it."

The Goth nodded. "Get it then." She pushed away from the desk. "Just remember, I wanna see that on you when we go to the club. No backing out now."

Angela nodded as she put her information into the form on the screen. "You got it. I can't wait to try it on!" She clicked on the send button and turned toward Penny again. "Maybe it won't be so bad if I come in this…"

"That's more like it." The Goth started making her way toward her own desk. "By the way, I'd finish that e-mail if I were you."

The redhead smacked herself on the forehead as soon as Penny left. "…Stupid."

* * *

The blond paced the length of the board room as the ring tone on the other end buzzed around in her skull, chewing on her lower lip as time seemed to slow to a crawl. "Come on, pick up…" A receptionist answered after a full minute. "Yes, this is Calico Briggs and I'd like to speak to Mr. Young, if he's available."

Another minute passed, turned into two. Callie grimaced as the seconds ticked along. "Probably not there…" A tom with a distinct Japanese accent answered after thirty more seconds. "Mr. Young, hi! It's Callie." He sounded pleasantly surprised to hear from her. "Yeah, it's been a while, I know. I figured I would check in and see how business was doing."

She frowned, her ears twitching. "Really? I'm sorry to hear that." She cleared her throat, sat on the long oak table. "Times are hard for all of us. Of course, I'm trying to change that." She smirked. "So you noticed, did you? Well I bet you already know why I'm calling."

She paused for a few moments, the tips of her ears high and alert. Her tail swayed this way and that, as if trying to feel out his tone. "Hmm… So they're getting nervous?" She nodded. "Good. They should be. He's gotten out of control." Callie shook her head. "He's even got spies trying to trace my team back to my campaign headquarters."

She chuckled, crossed her pink-clad legs. "I know, right? It's like he's never had to run a serious campaign before." Her tail stopped cold, face frozen in shock. After a few moments, her mouth finally went into action, her voice soft. "Are you serious?"

She stood from the table, started pacing again. "Well how much are we talking?" She blinked at his response. "…Holy crap." Callie almost groaned at her choice of words. "Pardon my tongue. When did you want to do this?" She nodded, her mind locking the information into her subconscious as soon as it hit her ears. "Solid." She stopped pacing as he spoke again, her face turning resolute. "Don't worry. I know you're betting on a long shot, but I won't fail."

She hung up after saying her farewells and pulled the headset out of her right ear. "God, thank you." She sat on the table again, and then flopped onto it like her own bed. The unforgiving wood made her back complain, but she ignored the pain. "We have a chance."

She beamed and almost squirmed where she lay. "We could _win_ this!" Her head filled with visions of her victory speech as she recounted the amount of money they talked about earlier. "I have to tell everyone, now." She sprung off of the table and strode toward the doors of the board room. The doors slid open as the motion sensor picked up, and she stuck her head out just enough to shout. "_Kats, board room, now_!"

It took about two minutes for everyone on her team to scramble into the meeting area and take his or her seats. Some of them preferred to stand this time. Snowy raised an eyebrow as soon as she entered. "Where's the fire?"

"Everywhere, Snowy." Callie beamed, walked toward the far left side and put her hands on the table. "We're in the money, people. Mr. Young has decided to back our campaign."

Gasps of surprise and cheers broke out. Marc simply nodded. "I thought he would. Those two aren't friends."

Callie shrugged. "There's bad news, though." She took off her pink jacket, straightened her dark blue tie. "The only reason he's backing us is because I'm the first candidate who's had a real, honest shot at unseating Manx. If we fall behind in any way, shape, or form, he cuts his losses."

The blond pulled the black, metal-tipped glove out of a hidden compartment beneath the desk and slid it over her right hand. She pointed toward the screen, waking it from its sleep, called the poll results up, and then called for an update. Percentages appeared on the screen, many of them larger. She pointed toward Downtown and the central part of MegaKat City turned green. "Thirty-eight percent, ladies and gentlemen. That's four points higher than our last evaluation." She turned toward her team again. "We need to make that number higher. I need ideas, now."

The clamor began almost at once, and Callie smiled. Rapid-fire ideas flew back and forth across the room, but she almost didn't hear most of them. In the back of her mind, she was already preparing for the last rally she'd ever hold before the City Council swore her into office.

* * *

**Chapter 08—**_**Glimmers of Hope**_

Well, there you have it. The start of something big!

Of course, there's no telling where I'm going to take this, but rest assured it'll be somewhere awesome. I'll have to think a bit harder about the next chapter, because it's going to get very, very ugly, very soon. Our serial killer is on the road to getting himself caught, he just doesn't know it yet. All the good guys need is one mistake… But you know the saying. Things always get worse before they get better...

Anyways thanks for reading. Hell, even the sight of people looking at this story is worth smiling about. I figure I'll keep going as long as you guys keep watching. After all, I'm doing this for the fans!

…And a little bit for me.

Big thanks to **EastsideGeorgiaBoy** for his review! Dude, I don't know what to tell you about all the bad crap out there. I just do the best I can with what I got and go from there.

Okay, I'm going to take a break now.

Until next chapter, this is your Slayer.


	9. Chapter 9

"Damn it."

Chance glared at the dead tom in his leather easy chair, a neat hole through his neck. The smell of blood hung fresh in the air, stifling his senses. Flash bulbs from cameras went off even as he reached over to the head of the thirty-year-old kat and closed the lifeless eyes. He heard the sound of footsteps on the hardwood floor and turned to face the kat that entered. "Tell me we got something to ID this one quickly."

Jake shrugged as he pulled off a pair of latex evidence gloves. "Looks like he ransacked the master bedroom before he left, took this kat's wallet, smashed his cell phone to bits. We won't know what name to cross off until a hell of a lot later." He shook his head as he adjusted his jacket. "He knows our SOP."

Chance growled. "While we're busy finding out who this is, this bastard could strike again." His hands tightened into fists at his sides. "We gotta get into that gate." The detective turned on his right heel and started to stride out of the living room.

Jake jogged after him, his expression tense and concerned. "Whoa, hang on! We don't even know how he can _find_ these kats yet! How the hell are we supposed to stop him if we can't find out how he picks his targets?"

"I already know what I _need_ to know," Chance shot behind him. "This kat's out for revenge, and so far he's doing a _damn_ good job. We need to end this, _now_." He stormed out of the front door and climbed over the top of Jake's roadster. The big tom buckled up once he plopped into the driver's seat and started the engine. "You wanna come or not?"

Jake walked over to the passenger's side and hopped in. "This is a bad idea, buddy."

"Won't be the first time I acted on a crazy plan." He pulled away from the curb and headed back toward Enforcer Tower. "This kat's only armed with a pistol, but he can be damn near anywhere he wants. We need an edge, and we need it fast."

Jake nodded. "You're right about that. Do you really think we're gonna get it at HQ though?"

Chance peered over at the slim tom. "Well where else are we gonna get it? We don't exactly have our jobs back, so you don't have access to any R&D. We need what they have at the moment." He turned back toward the road. "Sucks, but we'll make do."

Jake scratched his right ear. "And if Feral doesn't give it to us?"

Chance's eyes narrowed, his mouth stretched into a hard line. "Then we'll have to improvise."

Jake's cell phone buzzed in its holster. "Crap, hang on…" He whipped it out, pressed in the receive button and put it to his left ear. "Clawson." The wiry kat raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? What'd we miss?" A grin spread on his features and his ears perked atop his head. "Clever guy! I'll let him know right away. Thanks!" He hung up and glanced aside toward Chance. "We know who he is."

Chance stopped at a red light. "Okay, gimme the name."

Jake smirked. "You gonna be reasonable now?"

His partner groaned, rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me you're holding it hostage because of that!"

"We're not about to go in there half-cocked, not unless the situation on this side is resolved." Jake looked toward the intersection again. "We find out who's next, find out how this kat targets them, and neutralize that method of tracking. _Then_ we go after him."

Chance sighed and glared at the red light. "Okay, fine. But if someone else dies because we waited…"

Jake nodded as he put his phone away. "I'm willing to accept responsibility for that. Question is, are you?"

They both fell silent for what seemed to be a full minute. Then Chance shook his head. "No, I'm not. But I guess I'll have to live with it."

* * *

**Kanto the Slayer** presents

A _SWAT Kats_ Fanfiction

_**MegaKat Shield**_

* * *

"What I want to know is how'd he get in this time? It was in _broad daylight_!" Felina slammed her hands on her desk. "The kat was taking his afternoon _nap_ when he got shot!"

Jake shook his head. "Doesn't matter. He could've gotten in via any corner dark enough to let him pass through, and there were plenty in that building. No signs of a break-in, so…" Jake paced along the tile floor of Felina's office. "…So he picks the lock somehow without damaging it, walks in, gets just inside the shadow of that easy chair…" Jake turned toward Felina, made his right hand into a gun and put it to the side of his head. "You get the idea from there."

Felina groaned and flopped back into her leather chair. "Just how long has this kat been stealing things without our notice?"

Jake shook his head. "Could be years. He could've started planning this a few months after he got stuck there." The slim tom shrugged. "We'll never know unless we ask the guy, and I don't think he'll tell us. You want my honest opinion, he's too far gone."

"Yeah, in the head."

They both turned toward Chance, who for the whole time, stayed silent. He pushed off of the far wall and walked toward the desk. "I still say we should go in there now before more kats bite it, but Jake here wants to find out how they're being targeted." The powerful kat grimaced. "You want _my_ honest opinion? We'd be wasting time doing that when we could be locking him up."

The brunette shrugged. "That may be true, but we'd have to answer for anything else that happened while you were looking for him." She leaned forward over her desk. "We at least have a positive ID on that kat you guys found dead in his apartment. And we just got that list of scientists that worked on this project. We're on the right track, but we do need to understand how he's doing this."

Chance shrugged. "Just saying, while we try to understand…"

Felina sighed. "I _know_, Chance. But we're in the business of saving lives first." She shook her head. "I'm trying to help you guys get your badges back. And if I'm gonna do that, I need you to work with me." The captain looked up at Chance, her expression pleading with him. "Can you do that?"

The big tom slid his hands in the pockets of his leather bomber jacket. "All right, we'll do it Jake's way. I just don't wanna regret not going straight for the bad guy."

Felina smiled. "You won't, not this time." She handed them both a copy of the list of scientists. "You're both going to start by warning everyone left alive that they're being targeted. Whether they believe you or not, your job is to get them clear of their buildings. Hell, out of city limits if you have to."

Jake turned to leave the office. "On it!"

Chance waited for Jake to close the door before putting his hands on the Captain's desk. "I'm not sure that's gonna work, Felina."

"Well I'm open for suggestions."

Chance bowed his head, brows creased as he tried to come up with a plan. "He's gonna track these kats no matter where they are. We need to take out the main problem of how he's finding them in the first place." He paused for a few seconds, eyes narrowing to slits. "This all has something to do with those car parts he stole…"

Felina nodded. "Glad you're being rational about this." She cleared her throat. "Get outta here, Jake needs help. But keep me posted on what you find, okay?"

Chance nodded and pushed off the desk. "Will do." He headed for the door, stopped just in front of it. "Hey, uh… Thanks for putting a good word in for us."

The Captain shrugged. "Someone had to tell it to his face. Just don't make me regret it."

* * *

Angela peered at herself in the full-length mirror, turned to her right side as she examined the black cotton dress with a red and black striped cincher and sheer silk stockings. The skirt, just a few inches above the knees, displayed an inside panel of black ruffles. A pair of fingerless lace gloves stopped halfway up her forearms, accenting the dress. Her usual black leather choker, usually off-setting her other outfits, faded into obscurity with this one.

Good. She needed to at least keep that one thing simple.

"Now, that's more like it."

Angela grinned as she turned the other way. "Y'think? I thought this one was the cutest thing I could find without looking like I was a zombie." She turned toward Penny, clad in a black pinstriped suit with a dark red tie and white gloves. Three silver chains hung from her neck, each with a different pendant of some sort. The Goth boots were gone now, replaced by a pair of six-inch military boots, polished to a fault. "You look like you're ready to go to work or something, if it weren't for all that jewelry."

"Oh no, this is just rocker style. I'm too casual to wear this stuff to the office." Penny walked over and knelt to adjust the skirts. "I like the theme. You look like Alice from a dark, twisted Wonderland."

Angela nodded. "I always did like that book. Just…" She grimaced. "Don't ask me to dye my hair black."

Penny chuckled. "I like the hair just the way it is. It's a nice shocking shade of red already." She nodded and stood, placing her hands on the redhead's shoulders once she got back to her feet. "You're _so_ ready for tomorrow night. They're gonna love you two."

"No, they'll like Callie." The auburn-haired lawyer smirked. "She can get anyone to like her, no matter how cold-hearted or insecure. I…" She sighed, looking down at herself. "I don't have a charming bone in my body. I just work really hard."

Penny stood silent for a few moments, her brown eyes searching. Then she reached for Angela's right ear and tugged, hard.

"_Ow_!" Angela pulled back, her tail squirming as she rubbed at the hurt. "What was that for?"

"You okay now?"

Angela's face went blank. "What?"

Penny placed her hands on her hips. "I asked if you were all right now." She raised her right paw before Angela had a chance to speak. "You say anything like that while we're there, I will do what I just did again. Consider our little outing a chance to be who you really are. No one's gonna mind, we're all freaks anyway."

Before the she-kat could respond, her cell phone buzzed. Angela sighed, headed over to the black purse on her bed, and fished the device out. "Hello?" Her face lit up. "Callie! You're just outside?" She nodded. "Yeah, we're ready to go up here. Be right down!" Angela hung up and headed for the bathroom. "Let's go, she's waiting."

Penny wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Relax, you'll be fine. Just be yourself. The way to stop being shy is to just go with the flow of things." They changed out of their party outfits and into something more suitable for work. "Accept people and all their warts, and you won't mind your own at all. At least, that's what I think it means. I think that Callie understands it better than I do, though. She's got what you'd call an old soul."

Angela shook her head. "I don't even know what that means."

Penny shrugged. "That's fine. You will, the longer you hang out with us."

"_If_ I ever hang out with you at all after this." The redhead pointed toward Penny. "If anyone disrespects me or Callie in any way, I reserve the right to never speak to you again for a _month_, much less go anywhere with you. Got that?"

Penny put up a mock salute. "Whatever you say, Captain."

Angela rolled her eyes. "I'm serious! Don't make me use your real name…"

The Goth groaned as she slid into her halter neck top. "Okay, I _got_ it." She pulled the streaks of pink hair from her right eye. "Besides, if I feel anyone's crossed a line, I'll kick their ass myself."

The two stepped out of the bathroom in variations of their usual outfits. Angela wore muted grays instead of reds for her blazer and skirt, and changed the top to something off-white. Penny seemed not to mind looking like she wore the same clothing day-in and day-out, but a pair of spiked bracelets gleamed on her wrists this time around. She'd changed her skirt to a cotton, ruffled lace pattern instead of the tight black leather, but otherwise her gear remained unchanged.

"Back to the grinder, huh?" Penny sighed as she pulled on her gloves. "Well at least it's for a good cause."

The lawyer nodded. "Yeah, and it could get us killed."

Penny beamed as she followed Angela toward the front door of her apartment. "Well that's what makes it fun, right? Besides, as long as we can take care of ourselves, nothing bad's gonna happen. At least, not on our end. I dunno if the other guys will be so lucky."

* * *

A tom dressed in a white, short-sleeved, button-down shirt and black slacks walked up to the double glass doors of the Westbrook Apartments, his blue-grey ears poking out of a baseball cap. His polished black dress shoes clicked on the pavement as he headed in, the tools in his belt clinking against each other as he made his way toward the building.

The truck just behind him read the name of a plumbing company on the city's records, Magic Fix. Wasn't much of a name, but it would do for his purposes. He passed through the front doors and lifted the pen from next to the sign-in sheet.

The guard dressed in Enforcer blues behind the counter peered at him as he wrote his name. "Hey, you here for the job upstairs?"

The tom nodded without looking up. "Got the call just this morning." And that was true. He _had_ gotten the call. Only, it was a call that his higher-ups intercepted a few hours earlier. They gave the one who was really supposed to be here 'time off' for the rest of the day.

The guard sat up straight with a grunt. "Alright, which apartment?"

"Briggs, 305."

The guard raised an eyebrow. "Funny, I don't remember anything about her setting up an appointment with you guys. You sure that's the right one?"

A shrug. "Can't expect her to remember to tell you everything, she's busy these days. Or at least, that's what I hear."

The guard tilted his head slightly to the right, as if in thought. Then he nodded. "True enough. Just need to see your license and work order, and we'll be good to go."

The tom handed over his papers and, after two minutes of what looked like careful inspection, the guard let him through to the elevator. As the lift headed toward the third floor, he checked his tool belt for the ones he'd really be using. From one of the pouches, he withdrew a small plastic bag, three inches square, with several microchips and miniature cameras in them.

He put the bag back in as the elevator reached its destination, adjusted his hat, and stepped out of the lift as soon as it opened. The tom headed for the apartment in question, knowing full well what to expect. No one would have changed anything on the security system by now, unless someone was smart enough to figure out how to counter the jammer.

Once he reached the door, he fished out some lock picking tools and slid them into the keyhole. The goal was to leave as small of a footprint as possible, and breaking the lock would not do. In less than a minute, the tumblers clicked and he opened the door, eyes scanning for the control box as soon as he entered the living room.

He couldn't find it.

This presented a problem.

The tom gritted his teeth as he counted the seconds by in his head. He headed toward the door again, turned right, and opened the coat closet. The control box sat blinking with an amber-backlit keypad. He pulled the cover off, reached into his tool belt, pulled out a small half-inch wide metal disc, and put it on top of the circuit board.

He closed his eyes, bracing for any kind of alarm… and after five seconds, nothing happened.

The asset let out a sigh. A bit of a snag, but he was in.

He put the cover back on and closed the closet door, then made his way deeper into the apartment. Just above the table, mounted to the ceiling, was a smoke detector. He climbed on top of the table, opened the cover, and after a few seconds of messing with one of the microchips, closed it and got back down. One bug placed, several more to go.

Making his way toward the couch, the spy headed for the phone just to the right of the television and took it apart. Once he found what he was looking for, he placed another listening bug inside and put the phone back together in short order.

The spy walked upstairs toward the master bedroom and headed for the night stand to the right of the bed. He reached into his tool belt, pulled out a pen, opened the drawer, and tossed it inside. The pen itself was a camera on its own, complete with audio recording.

He closed the drawer, grabbed the phone just next to the lamp and bugged it as well. As he put the phone back together, the sound of the phone downstairs got his attention.

Okay, time to go.

After putting the phone back in working order he glanced around, looking for a quick exit before anyone decided it was the perfect moment to rush the apartment. Nothing caught his attention. He grimaced and made his way back down the hallway as if nothing were wrong.

The answering machine beeped as he walked past the couch. What he heard made him freeze in his tracks.

"Callie, it's Jake Clawson. Listen, you don't have to do anything about this, but someone's in your apartment right now that shouldn't be. Don't worry, I got everything under control already. If he's still there when this call is finished, he'd better get ready for company. See you later."

The tom went for the front door like all hell.

The sound of the elevator chime made him press himself against the wall across from the coat closet and peek out of the doorway. Three Enforcers stepped out of the lift, guns at the ready. The tom hissed and pulled his head back. His mind raced to figure out what he'd done wrong.

Security system disabled, jammer in place, no alarm…

His eyes widened. No alarm. Because it was silent. Apparently, this Jake figured the first time was enough to put up a countermeasure. He gritted his teeth as they came closer and ran back toward the hallway, leapt up the stairs, sprinted past the doorway, and closed it shut. He glanced around, looking for a place to set up shop until they went away.

His ears twitched as the sound of the cops shouting for him to come out and surrender echoed along the walls of the apartment. He threw open the closet door and looked up to find the top shelf empty. The spy slipped in, closed the door, and hauled himself up onto the shelf. Then, he made like a dead kat and tried not to breathe too hard.

The bedroom door opened.

"Spread out, search every nook in here. He couldn't have gone far."

Three seconds after that, the closet door opened from the right. One of the Enforcers shone a flashlight inside, checking for any sign of his presence. He lay stiff as a board, ready to fall right on top of him if he looked up with that thing.

"Clear."

He managed to keep his relief in check as the search continued. He heard them head toward the bathroom, and after a few seconds, another Enforcer stated the room was clear before they headed back downstairs. But he didn't move as he heard someone talking into a radio…

"This is Unit Twelve. We have a break-in at 305. No sign of the suspect, requesting a perimeter set up along the entire block, over."

The tom kept his groan to himself. He counted in his head to five before finally sliding down from the shelf and opening the left-side door. Empty room, save for himself.

He made his way toward the entrance to the bedroom, peeked out from the left side wall, pulled his head back around when he saw the police still in the living room. His ear piece chose that moment to annoy him with a buzz in his ear.

"What's your status?"

He looked out from the doorway again, tried not to mutter too loud. They were still there… "I've been compromised. Someone knew we were coming."

"Well did you get all the devices set up?"

"Affirmative. They're in place." He pressed his back along the wall. "I have no clear exit, please advise."

The voice on the other end scoffed. "If you did your job, it doesn't matter _how_ you leave. Just make sure no one's alive to tell you were there, and clean up the mess afterward."

The tom grimaced. "I'd rather not be so… obvious, sir."

"Just do what you have to. Out."

He looked again and saw no one in the living room this time. The spy made his way down the hallway, crept along the stairs, sneaked his way toward the kitchen and crouched at the corner of the bar. He peered out again, toward the open front door. Clear.

The agent stood, straightened his shirt, and eased out of the apartment. He glanced down either side of the hallway, jogged around the corner to the left, and entered the stairwell at the end of the hallway. Three flights later, he ended up on the roof and found the fire escape. He finally let out the sigh of relief he'd been holding in as he made his way down the metal stairs, and once he reached solid ground he touched his ear piece again. "I'm out. Need a pickup on the west side of the building."

"Affirmative. What are you going to do about the van?"

The spy pulled out one more thing from his tool belt, a black detonator trigger with a red button atop it. "Use it for one last thing." He pulled the trigger, held it for two seconds until the light on the back of the device turned green, and then pressed in the button. A split-second later, his ears rang with an explosion and he pocketed the detonator again, walking down the alley as if he'd done nothing wrong. "Control, if you're going to pick me up, do it now."

* * *

Callie sighed as she closed the novel in her hands, her expression clouded with resignation. "Always the sad part, when the bad guys win for a time."

"Heroism is overrated anyway," Penny said with a smirk. "You get yourself damn near killed over people that only want you to pull them out when things get bad, when they can't help themselves." She shook her head. "I think we need villains once in a while, to give us a wake-up call."

The blond shrugged. "Maybe you're right. Doesn't mean we let them do whatever they want." She put the book back onto the board room table and slid it over toward the Goth. "This isn't too bad of a read, really. Where'd you get it?"

Penny stopped the book with her left hand. "Found it in my basement, covered with dust and spiders. I read through it a few times, kinda figured you'd like it." The smirk softened into a genuine smile. "Turns out I was right."

Callie nodded. "It is a dark piece of reading, but I think it's interesting." She stood from her chair and stretched her arms above her head. "Well, whatever. Let's get back to work." She made her way toward the exit, Penny in tow. "I think we'll do great with next week's rally in the West End. You're invited, of course."

Penny shook her head as she followed the mayor-candidate back out into the office. "Not my thing. I'll watch it on TV though, you guys have fun."

"Yeah, well you really should come to one. The few I've actually been to aren't really boring at all." They were just Mayor Manx's rallies, which meant she had to do most of the talking, most of the crowd involvement, and most of the planning. But when the crowd got into it, they were fun.

The Goth glanced over to Callie. "It's not that. I'm not into the whole political process, besides just observing it. I'm not one to vote, either." She sighed and stared forward as they headed toward the maze of cubicles. "If I vote and the kat I pick turns out to be an idiot, then that's on me for helping whoever it is get into public office." She looked at Callie again. "Then again, you're not an idiot. It's one of the reasons I'm helping you."

"Well…" Callie pulled at her neck tie. "Thank you, I guess."

Penny chuckled. "Okay, so that wasn't the best way to put it. Suffice it to say that I've got your back in this, but I won't be showing up at your rally. If you need any tech support during it though, have someone give me a call. I'll do what I can from the house."

They walked over to an empty table with a computer in front and Penny sat down, stretching her arms over her head before she rested her fingers on the keyboard. "So, what do we got?"

Callie leaned forward to peer over Penny's right shoulder. "Well, this Donovan kat is starting to get on my last nerve with this, and I want to know everything about who he is and why he's doing this."

Penny raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you already have someone look that up?"

"Yes, I did. The problem is they're tied up right now with something else." The pink-clad she-kat sighed, her expression frustrated. "Nothing I can do about that, so it's up to you. I want you to dig everywhere you can about this tom, and I want it done before we go anywhere this weekend."

The brunette groaned. "That's gonna take the rest of the day and all night!"

Callie nodded. "You're right. It may very well be like that." She squeezed Penny's right shoulder. "Can you do it?"

Penny's expression of grief changed slightly as she calmed herself. "There's nowhere I can't get to. Time frame's a bit short for this kinda job, though. I'll try, but I doubt I'll be done before the party."

The blond squeezed that right shoulder again. "I believe in you, okay? We need to get this done so we can take Manx and him out in one clean sweep. I said I wouldn't run a mudslinging campaign…" She stood and turned away. "…But I never said I wouldn't try to expose campaign fraud. And that's what's going on here." With that, she headed toward Angela's office. "Get going."

On the way to Angela's office, her cell phone buzzed in the right pocket of her dress slacks. She pulled it free and opened it to find she had a new text message from Jake. What she read when the message was opened made her stop dead cold. Everything else seemed to blur besides the phone as she focused on the tiny screen.

Someone broke into her apartment. Again.

Her left hand gripped the phone so hard it threatened to break.

"Shit." She shook her head, shoved the phone back into her pocket, and stormed toward Angela's office.

She didn't bother reading the rest of it, those first few words she'd read told her enough. She'd kick that bastard's ass if she ever saw him again, no matter how damn big he was! Callie almost wanted to break the door to Angela's office down as she reached it, but remembered herself and let out a harsh sigh as she twisted the door knob.

Angela looked up from her desk as Callie entered. "Hey, everything okay? You look like…"

"…Someone just shit on my day? Yes." Callie closed the door behind her and locked it before striding over toward the leather chair across from the desk and plopping down into it. "It happened again, Snowy."

Angela's eyes widened. "No way, _another_ break-in?"

Callie nodded. "No telling what they did, what's broken, or what kind of message was sent. Either way, they have nearly scot-free access to my apartment at any time they want. Jake was supposed to have changed the security system somewhat, but…"

"Oh I'm sure he did." Angela scratched the back of her head. "How else were you able to find out about the intrusion from here?"

Callie blinked for a moment as the information set in, then pulled out her phone again and actually read the message this time. As she took a good look at what exactly Jake had done to change the system, she felt at ease. "I think everything's gonna be all right. They won't bother coming back."

"See, told you!" The redhead scratched behind her right ear. "But we still need to wonder what exactly they did before whatever countermeasures Jake installed went off."

The blonde nodded. "I'll have to check all over the place for anything that they put in. Who knows what they did to my stuff?" She wouldn't be surprised if they had the place wired for sound and video by now. She knew this kind of tactic, and she didn't like it at all. Mostly because she couldn't retaliate in kind.

Callie shook her head. No, she refused to sink to their level. She'd play this straight. It'd only be a matter of time before they were exposed. Just keep on fighting, Callie-girl. She looked up toward Angela. "We have to get everyone behind us at next week's rally. We just _have_ to."

Angie grinned. "I'll do my best to help!"

"Good, because if we don't start gaining momentum, everything will have been for nothing." She wanted this over with quickly so she wouldn't have anyone disturb her home again.

Callie thought about that for a moment, then smiled. Well… anyone besides Chance.

* * *

**Chapter 09—**_**Fired Up, Wired Up**_

You can't imagine how much crap I've been through this month. I figure it's time for another chapter, and all of a sudden, life interferes. Plus that infiltration scene was one of the hardest I've ever had to do! But here it is. The finished product! Here's hoping you guys enjoy it.

Well, another hard scene coming up, the club scene! Not to mention we're getting closer to actually going after the bad guy. I'm not sure how that's going to turn out, but I'm going to have fun doing it. Or at least, I'll try to have fun doing it… Anyways, I have plenty of work ahead of me as far as this, and all my other stories. I'll try to keep in touch, now that I have some free time.

In any event, review, add this to your favorites, whatever else you feel you need to do to stop by and say hello. I've been getting good feedback from you guys, and I appreciate that. Keep 'em coming, they're always welcome!

_This is your Slayer._


	10. Chapter 10

The door to the Captain's Office in MegaKat City's Eastside precinct slammed open, revealing a sweat-soaked Felina Feral with a tall, cold bottle of water in her right hand. She stormed in, officers and detectives looking on with curious expressions on their faces. The Captain kicked the door closed behind her, shrugged her officer's coat off with a groan, and trudged toward the desk. She stopped after a few steps as she noticed a manila folder on the table.

Wonderful.

The brunette turned toward the coat rack and hung her trench coat up with a sigh. "Good plan, wearing that to work," she muttered. "You're a genius, Felina." She marched toward the oak desk, plopped down in the leather swivel chair, retrieved the folder with her left hand, and propped her boots up onto the desk. Thank whatever stars watched over her for central air conditioning.

Felina glared at the latest reports of the day. Sometimes she wished she'd stayed a Lieutenant. That way, she wouldn't have to deal with sorting out what was absolute crap from what actually made sense. She peered toward the closed window to the right side of her desk, wondering how the hell her predecessor ever survived in here when it was this damn hot. She'd have to _peel_ her tank top off when she hit the showers!

"Shit." She tossed the manila folder onto the desk and leaned back in her swivel chair. "I should be outside in a pool or something, not in here being stifled." That or taking a case on her own. She wasn't cut out for this administrative bullshit. Felina looked out the window with a sigh of longing. Hell, she almost _wanted_ to hear something blow up.

She shrugged. Such was her lot in life, she guessed. That promotion she desperately wished for came with all the paperwork, the part of the job she hated the most. In fact, it was nearly all she did unless something big happened, and her uncle… no wait, Commander Feral… had warned her to be ready for it.

She wasn't. Didn't think she'd ever be. But Felina did it anyway, because it was part of her job.

A knock at the door made her ears perk. "It's unlocked."

She looked up just in time to see Chance and Jake walk through the door. Pulling her boot-clad feet off the desk, she barked, "Cut to the chase, this heat is not putting me in a good mood."

Since she'd given them no real dress code yet, they were in short sleeved shirts, jeans and boots to fight the summer heat. Chance's shirt was a dark brown button-down style while Jake's was a white close-fitting body one.

It made her blink for a moment as her stomach twisted in all sorts of pleasant little knots. Holy hell, Jake was beautiful. Anyone calling him scrawny in front of her would get their eyes clawed out. She took a sip from the bottle of water as the room rose several degrees in temperature.

Taking a seat in one of the two chairs in front of her desk, Jake spoke first. "We're not gonna move them."

That snapped Felina right out of her pleasant daydream, a stern look replacing her dazed one. "Say that again."

Chance remained standing, his face carved from granite. "To put more of a point on it, we _can't_ move them. Not without being traced all over the place." He cleared his throat. "Took us the rest of the day and half of last night, but we found out the connection between everything this kat stole." The big tom grimaced. "It's not good."

Felina remained silent for a few seconds before her tense posture relaxed. Well shit, might as well hear them out. "Sit down, Chance. You're making me nervous."

He took the seat next to Jake as Felina allowed herself a sigh. "You have five minutes. Start from the top, but make it simple and short. When you're done, I'm going to decide whether or not to put you off the case and shut you both down, or figure out what the hell we're going to do about whatever problem you two just dug up." She pulled a stop watch out of one of the drawers of her desk and hit the start button. "I'm listening."

Jake went first. "This kid wasn't an intern at MASA for nothing. All this crap he stole? He's turned it into a ramshackle tracking device using GPS targeting. Any cell phone in the city that he has the number for, he can indefinitely trace. We don't even know the range on whatever he's built, but I'm gonna assume it's pretty wide."

Chance stepped in at that point, scratching the back of his head. "If we don't know the range, and I bet we won't find out unless we're well inside it and on his hit list, we can't safely move anyone, anywhere. And that ain't the half of it." He sighed, his face discouraged. "We don't even know who the next target is. He's just picking them off in a random order."

Felina stopped her watch, a look of disgust on her face. "Well… that's convincing enough for me." She smirked. "Don't know if the Commander will like it, though. Still, this does give me a lot of leeway in what to do about our issues." She stood and the detectives stood with her. "I'm giving you clearance to get in there, grab the guy, and bring him to this side of reality... _alive_, if possible. We need to make this clean and convincing if you guys want your badges back."

Felina walked toward the coat rack with her trench coat on it before stopping just two feet from it. Oh hell no, this was a bad idea. She turned back toward the desk and pulled out her duty belt, a thigh holster, and a USP Tactical. "I'm coming along," she said as she geared up.

Chance's face displayed a mixture of resignation and irritation. "And there's no way I can tell you to stay behind this time, because you're my boss."

"Damn straight." The brunette turned to face them, a wild grin on her features. "Besides, I don't take no for an answer anyway." She headed toward the door, her two best detectives in tow. "We're taking my squad car to headquarters first. I'm not about to go wherever we're going without some kind of tech."

Jake raised an eyebrow. "Don't you mean without some kind of backup?"

Felina chuckled. "Who do you think I am, the Commander?" Her face became a mask of determination. "If the three of us can't do it alone, we'll lose all credibility. We're ending this once and for all… and without his help."

* * *

**Kanto the Slayer** presents

A _SWAT Kats_ Fanfiction

_**MegaKat Shield**_

* * *

The smell of gunpowder and cardboard met them as they entered the armory, located in the first level basement of Enforcer Tower. Boxes of unopened ammunition lined a wall to their right as they headed for the cage serving window covered with bullet-resistant glass. Felina smiled as she looked toward the new officer in charge, the one that replaced Benny once he'd become the Lieutenant Commander.

The captain pulled up in front of the cage and knocked on the window. "We're on call, need some firepower."

The much younger tom in a navy blue enforcer uniform looked up from his magazine, eyes wide as he saw who addressed him. He stood so fast the swivel chair he sat in rolled back a few feet. "Yes ma'am, Captain." He snapped off a salute.

Felina chuckled. "Stop that, rookie, before you embarrass yourself." She cleared her throat as she presented an order form for what she'd need. "Think you can handle all this post-haste? We're short on time here, got a warrant to serve." Yeah, once she filled said warrant out _after_ they dragged the serial killer from another dimension back to a holding cell.

The officer took the form, gave it a quick once-over and nodded. "Hang on, lemme grab the stuff you wanted." He pulled a shotgun from the gun racks behind him, a black Mossberg with a fourteen-inch barrel and a red dot sight. "Always did like this one. Got a nice, heavy barrel on it. You wanted the nonlethal ammo, right?"

Felina nodded. "I'd rather we take this one alive. He's got the evidence on his person, and we need it."

The tom nodded and headed for the shelves again. "So you wanted pistols with live ammo for the detectives? I'm going to assume they know how to take non-lethal shots." He looked over his right shoulder. "No offense you guys, just checking."

Chance shrugged, hands in the pockets of his jeans. "Gotta make sure, right?"

In the space of a few minutes, the officer pulled out the gear for them – thigh holsters, ballistic vests with gear pouches, mini-computers for satellite uplink, and the bullet-resistant, light blue, rimless glasses that doubled as heads-up displays the Enforcers had recently picked up from Pumadyne.

Felina smiled toward the cage kat. "That's about it. We'll be back in a bit, hopefully with a bad guy in tow." She turned toward Chance and Jake. "Suit up. We're leaving as soon as everything's secure."

They didn't waste any time putting their gear on, and once Felina slung her shotgun scabbard over her right shoulder, they were ready to go. The three of them headed back outside, plugging the mini-jacks that led from their black-box computers into a port in the lenses as they walked.

Felina peered over her right shoulder, toward Chance and Jake. "I want radio contact maintained at all times. We don't know what to expect once we move over to wherever this place is, so keep all lines of communication open. You see him, do not fire unless he decides to do something stupid, and even then don't kill him. We need him alive, got it?"

Chance gave her a bemused expression. "That's the third time you've said that. What's the worst that could happen?" He smirked. "He doesn't have protection, he's only got a pistol, and he probably doesn't know how to handle more than one kat. We're good."

Felina's lips turned down, her eyebrows low in a glower. "We're also walking into his territory with no idea where he is right now, much less what the rules of the place are." She faced forward again. "Like I said… _all_ lines of communication open _all_ the time, and try not to put him in the ground. We clear on that?"

Chance grimaced. "Yeah, we're clear. But I still think this's gonna be easier than it looks."

Jake shrugged. "I sure hope you're right, buddy… for everyone's sake."

The three of them climbed back into the squad car and started to make their way toward MASA, Felina's features hard with determination. Jake had a point. They were right to be cautious, no telling _what_ tricks this murdering bastard had up his sleeve. He could sneak into a building without alerting security, enter a locked door, and kill someone without their notice. He had to have some kind of means to evade them, or even kill them at will.

No, they had to be prepared.

So first things first… they needed to head for MASA, because someone somewhere in there had to know what the hell this place was about. Better be a short version too. Who knew what he'd do while someone yakked on for hours about this other world? Then they needed to actually get in, probably no small feat. Reports stated the government mothballed the whole operation, so the damn thing might not work anymore.

She shook her head. No, it _had_ to work. This'd never end if the gate they were supposed to walk through was a one-way trip…

Images of the three of them coming back to the portal, only to find they were stuck there flashed through her mind, sending a shiver down her spine. That gate just could not fail, ever. Not until they got the perp outta there.

Felina stopped at a signal light and glanced to her right, toward Chance. "I'll do the talking. We make this as quick as possible, get in, and get this guy out before he strikes again. If all goes well…" She smiled. "Well, everyone wins, don't they?"

Chance stared ahead, only giving a wry smile as evidence he heard her. "Not everyone. Feral still hates our guts." The big tom shrugged. "Not like I care what the hell he thinks, I just want my life back."

Felina turned her eyes to the road again with a sigh. "Look… I know he's a hardass, and he's done some fucked up things… but he's a good guy. He's just trying to do what he thinks is best for the city." She'd come to realize that one over the past few months, starting just after she'd quit being a mercenary. Despite everything else her uncle did wrong, he still kept trying.

Chance scoffed. "Well it's evident by now that his methods aren't exactly working. You want my honest opinion? _You'd_ make a better Commander than him." He reclined in his seat. "That's just my opinion, though."

Felina's cheeks grew warm at the blonde's compliment. She prayed her fur hid it well enough. "Don't be so sure about that. I hate paperwork and politics."

Jake laughed from just behind her. "That's why you'd be so good at it!"

Felina shook her head as the light turned green. "Focus, kats. We got a case to close."

* * *

For once, she'd taken the day off.

Of course, that meant she had nothing to do, but Calico Briggs felt she could relax at least a little now that certain things were in place. Besides, she admitted to herself, she looked kinda hot in this costume. The blonde turned from one side to the other as she inspected herself in her bedroom's full length mirror. The dress was a lover, embracing her curves and artful lines like it didn't want to let go.

She giggled at the thought as she walked back toward the bed, bare feet leaving imprints in the plush carpet. Snowy didn't know what she was talking about, this was gonna be great! She hadn't prettied herself up like this in months, and the dress gave off less of a corpse bride air and more of a dark, sensual temptress. Well, she thought so, anyway.

Callie sat on the bed, her tail curling out of the way. Maybe she should wear this thing around the house a bit, see what moving around in it did for her. After some consideration, she shook her head. More important things to do than strut around in a costume she might only wear for one night. With a sigh, she stood and headed toward the bathroom to peel the dress off and change into something more comfortable.

Five minutes later, she emerged with a light blue silk robe that shone like so much gossamer, a pair of cotton slippers on her feet. "Right," she muttered, "Let's see what's in where."

Someone broke in. No idea who, but she had a good idea of who ordered it. Now the task was discerning what the infiltrator had changed, and that meant she damn near had to turn her apartment inside out to find them.

Or did she?

An idea flashed through the would-be mayor's mind. Her perception. If it could sense danger, and spot the intentions of others, couldn't it figure out what was wrong with this picture? She shrugged, headed for the bed, and took a seat. Worth a shot. More precision if it worked.

She pulled in fresh air through her nose and exhaled as she stretched her aura through the room, eyes staring ahead without seeing. The back of her mind categorized everything in the room to the slightest detail as she scanned her surroundings. The bed she sat on… her black patent heels underneath… nightstand to the right, lamp just on top, papers inside, a ball-point pen…

She froze. Was there a pen there before?

Callie raised an eyebrow as she tried to make sense of the apprehension that made her skin tingle. Already had more than enough of those. Didn't need one more. She stood, turned toward the nightstand, pulled open the drawer. Her face twisted into a grimace. Yeah, unfamiliar pen. The blonde proceeded to take the damn thing apart and sneered at what she saw.

"Nice try."

The pen was a bug, a recording device wired for audio and video. From the setup, she figured it worked as any pen should, except for the fact that whoever planted it here could retrieve the information from it any time they wanted.

Callie glowered toward the exit to her bedroom. What else was out of place?

She marched through the door, downstairs toward the living room, and made it appear as if she went to watch some TV. Without casting her eyes around the apartment, she plopped down on the couch, grabbed the remote, turned the tube on, and fished through the channels, trying to seem oblivious to whatever they'd planted.

Callie spread her energy through the room, searching, feeling it out.

Something caught her attention in the first ten seconds. The cordless to her right, on the glass lamp stand near the love seat. Something was different. She ignored it for now and continued her search. Another one, on the ceiling. Smoke detector, probably a camera from that high up. No telling if they'd wired it for sound too, but she'd find out later.

After a full minute of this, she stood, stretched her arms above her head until her elbows popped. Her slipper-clad feet treaded across the carpet toward the kitchen. She couldn't find anything else, so the act would have to end here. As she turned the faucet on, adding its noise to the wide-screen in front of the couch, she tilted her head up just enough to peer toward the ceiling.

Only one way to reach that smoke detector, and that was with something as a boost. Probably a chair from the table a few feet away. Wouldn't take much to climb up at that point. Callie moved toward one of the cabinets and pulled out a glass, stuck it under the running water until half full, and took a sip. The pen was easy. Take it apart and see what it hid. The smoke detector would be a bit more difficult. If that camera was active, they'd be onto her if she went for it now. She had to find a way to turn the thing off before taking it from its hidey-hole.

She had to contact Jake again.

Callie shook her head. House phone was out of the question. Cellphone wasn't a good idea either, probably had some way to trace the call. No, they had to meet somewhere they could be alone, or at least with people they trusted. She cut the sink off, finished the rest of her glass, and tossed it in before heading out of the kitchen and back toward the stairs.

Her instincts demanded that she scream, hit something, rage against this. She didn't feel safe in her _own damn house_ anymore. And the worst part was no one knew where these bastards operated from, so she couldn't strike back. Yet she maintained her composure as she stepped into her bedroom again and changed into a pair of jeans, a light blue halter top, and a pair of off-white running shoes.

Then, she headed for the closet, pulled out a pink travel suitcase no higher than two feet, rolled it over to the dresser next to the bathroom door, and started packing.

Enough of this shit. She'd live with Snowy for a week until Jake solved this. Staying with Chance didn't even come up as an option. Last she heard, he was on call, working the recent string of homicides. No sense in distracting him, much as she'd love to just snuggle up with him and have a good cry into his shoulder.

Despite herself, she blushed. That steel wall of a chest would be a nice place to sleep, too. Plenty of room to lay her head, and that soft fur of his would knock her right out. Callie chuckled. These… very, _very_ pleasant thoughts couldn't distract her. She had to leave, and fast…

Callie ran a hand through her flaxen hair, her mind running through what she had, and what she didn't. The gun, enough clothes for at least seven days, bathroom stuff, the costume…

She blinked. Costume. Party tomorrow night at some club.

Callie smacked herself on the forehead. "Shit." She headed for the closet again. "How could I forget that?"

She pulled the dress and gloves from their hangers, moved for the bed and fished for her heels underneath. Once she found those, it was only a matter of putting all the extra cargo into the suitcase. She unzipped the secondary zipper just above the first, then the one below it and… bingo, more room. Or at least, more give. She stuffed everything in, closed the suitcase, and zipped it. Callie grinned. "There, that does it."

The grin turned to a grimace as a thought passed into her awareness, just a brief flash, but it was enough. She wouldn't be able to get out of here without that camera seeing her, would she? No telling what the radius on it was, where it faced.

Callie scratched at her left ear, face contorted as the wheels in her head turned and ground. Probably faced down, since that was the only real way to see anything at all. Had to be through the speaker outlets or something of that sort. She could try to get lucky, make a break for the door, but… Callie shook her head. They'd know right away, wouldn't they?

She raised an eyebrow. The phone. They had it bugged, right? She smirked. That might work.

She stood, pulled the handle of her suitcase up until it locked, and headed out of the master bedroom again. In full view of that hidden camera, she headed for the phone and dialed a certain number for a certain hotel to make a reservation for four days and three nights, starting later today in the afternoon. She figured they'd trace the call, try and get her room number and all that.

Only she wouldn't be there. She knew they'd cancel her reservation if she didn't make it before midnight, and by the time they went to check up on her it'd be too late. She might as well have vanished from their radar!

A few minutes later, she hung up and whistled a tune as she turned off the TV and headed toward the front door. Fishing her keys from the right pocket of her jeans, she shook her head at just how easy it was to fool these self-proclaimed professionals. Hell, she should have signed up for the CIA or something, she'd make an excellent spy, or at least counter-intelligence.

Callie snickered. "Fat chance of that happening."

She opened the door, walked into the hallway, and disappeared with a few clicks from the locks.

* * *

Donovan sat in a leather swivel chair, high above the command center where the business of Manx's campaign just about did itself. His blue eyes looked on as fingers flew across keyboards, tracking information about voters and drumming up support from the idle rich and big businesses. The tiger smiled and turned toward his own console, the darkened monitors flaring to life once he tapped the space bar on his own keys.

What he saw first made him raise an eyebrow.

A donation alert, and not in his camp either. He opened the message, frowned as the name displayed itself. So Mr. Young finally got tired of backing an impotent civil servant. Donovan smirked. Had to happen sooner or later. Then again, he was a significant power player in the past, and remained so to this day. The fact that he didn't pitch in this time… was unsettling.

Donovan's frown turned to a scowl. There was only one other competitor in this race, and if Young had donated to her instead, it'd be a considerable road block. He couldn't even use it as ammunition, since the tycoon donated to Manx long before switching camps. Severing ties with the useless mayor-incumbent was an intelligent, risk-free move.

Backing Briggs however… Donovan shrugged. If she lost ground even once, Young would probably sever ties with her as well. The city may even lose his business, something that would hurt in the long run, but would serve as a convenient political stumbling block. They'd fix the fallout later. And when he said they, he meant his team. The Bengal chuckled. Manx couldn't fix the city even if he actually lifted a finger to do so. Donovan wondered, not for the first time, if the tom actually knew how to do this job in the first place.

He doubted it.

His ears twitched at the clang of the steel steps. Donovan didn't bother turning his head to look, he could tell those boots from anyone else's. He leaned back in his chair and allowed the tom to whisper into his right ear. What he heard caused the smile to return to his face.

So they'd found the annoying bugs crawling where they didn't belong.

He stood, stretched his arms over his head, and moved toward the stairs, motioning for his security chief to follow. They strode toward the board room and as the door slid open, Donovan began to speak. "Who are they?"

The door closed behind the tom with the buzz cut as he tossed a folder onto the table, then headed back toward the entrance and stood at-ease. "See for yourself."

The tiger looked toward his officer, brows lifted. "You can't just explain?"

No response.

Donovan sat, pulled the folder toward him, and opened it. The first file he retrieved displayed just about everything one would want to know about a well-built, wide-shouldered blond tom. The file underneath belonged to another that appeared to be his partner.

He took a closer look at the document in his right hand, and after a few seconds, his eyes narrowed to slits. "…Shit."

"I trust I don't need to explain."

Donovan shook his head. "No, you don't." The information before him told the story well enough. Chance Furlong and Jacob Clawson, former Enforcers. Detectives in rank, both on the flight roster, highly decorated. SWAT training, undercover work for both officers. Professionals. No wonder Feral issued an APB for him. These two sniffed him out.

He pulled away the intel on the slim tom to find a third dossier. The portrait displayed there made him cringe without reading anything else. "Captain Felina Feral…"

The security officer grimaced. "You see our situation now."

Donovan's hands ran along the top of his head, claws unsheathed. His brain tumbled through every possible situation, trying to piece together how he'd picked up not one, not two, but three very major problems to deal with. Add that to Young's defection…

He growled despite himself, ears twitching. "I want them dead."

The security chief raised an eyebrow. "Say again?"

"Did I _stutter_, soldier?" Donovan glared up at him. "Dead. All three. Preferably five minutes ago." He shook his head, his mind already formulating a plan. "Feral needs to look like it was an accident, a mistake on her part. We don't need half the Enforcers breaking down our door in retaliation. But the other two, you can dispose of as you wish." His jaw tightened, right hand crumpling the file it held. "Make it messy. Hell, _level_ the buildings they're in if you have to!" The table shook as he rammed his fists into it. "Send the Enforcers a message to stay the _hell_ out of our way!"

The tom saluted. "Sir!" With that, he turned on his right heel and marched out of the board room.

Donovan growled again, stood so fast his chair skidded halfway across the floor. He paced the room like a caged animal, blue eyes narrowed to slits. He had the entire city practically on a silver platter to hand to Manx, again, and now the whole operation was in jeopardy. His mind raced in an attempt to conceive how it all happened. He'd cleaned his closet to the last detail. Every record of him was shredded, burned, deleted, or otherwise made obsolete.

He stopped cold. Every record except one. The one the CIA had on file, his basic information. Just because he was declassified didn't mean they forgot him. Oh no, they kept it just in case he ever came back, so they could _shoot_ him once they recognized his face.

His eyes squeezed shut. No way to access it, no way to remove it. Security in government installations was too high, even for him. The one shred he couldn't get to, and _they_ happened to find it.

Donovan roared, muscles bulging, tail swinging hard enough to part the air.

Dead. They all had to die, all three of them. And if the chief didn't come through this time, he'd do it himself.

* * *

They stood in front of a twenty foot high square frame, the steel structure looking more like a window without glass than a passage between dimensions. Felina peered through, toward the crystals mounted on swivel turrets. Four of them, one for each laser. It took two hours to power up and set into place, but they told her everything still worked.

Damn well better be true.

She took a few steps back, scratched the back of her neck with her right hand. "Someone explain to me how the hell this is supposed to work."

The lead scientist, a tom in his late forties wearing a white lab coat with black cotton slacks and a white dress shirt, cleared his throat and pointed toward the frame of the window. "That's no ordinary metal you're looking at, Captain. When the lasers hit it, even just at the edge, it produces a frequency that distorts space. Hard to explain that one without you having multiple degrees in physics. Simply put, we're aiming for the inside corners with the lasers, four in front and four behind us."

Felina glanced behind her. Yeah, there they were. "What about those crystals? They supposed to direct those beams?"

The professor nodded. "Exactly. Now, one would think that when two lasers meet up, they pass through each other. But in this case, they won't. The frequency produced by the frame creates a barrier, and when those lasers ram into it, that barrier starts to open up. All we have to do at that point is direct the energy toward the center, and…" He shrugged. "The rest pretty much speaks for itself."

Felina chewed it all over for a few seconds, then nodded. "Good enough for me." She turned to face the tom in the lab coat. "How soon can we start?"

He peered toward the control room high above, nodded as the techs gave him a thumbs-up. "Right now. I'll have to ask you three to turn off your electronics during this, as they tend to interfere with the whole process."

Felina nodded and walked back down the ramp from the staging area. "You heard the man, cut everything off. You can turn it back on once we're in."

Chance folded his arms in front of him. "I'm still confused as to how this's gonna go down. If we're gonna go in, I need to know more than what he just said." He stared at the frame, an eyebrow raised. "Damn thing looks like it'll fall apart at the next breeze."

Jake cut off his GPS and radio with a chuckle. "Relax buddy, just have a little faith. These kats know what they're doing."

Felina shrugged as she stopped at the two detectives. "I hope so. If this thing breaks in any kind of way, or if anything goes wrong while we're in there, no one's ever gonna find us again." She turned to face the frame. "Okay people, fire this thing up! The longer we wait, the more time this guy has to kill someone else!" Probably in this very room if she had any guess. Hopefully not.

The scientist gave a thumbs-up to the control room, and everything seemed to move at once. The swivel turrets turned toward their aim points in sync, and once they were aligned, a soft hum could be heard from the lasers mounted nearby.

"Initiating energy transfer. Light 'em up."

The beams fired, passed through the crystals, and hit the frame at the inside corners. The whole frame rang like some kind of tuning fork and Felina's ears twitched at the high pitch. "Shit…" She shook her head to clear it of the annoying buzz before looking back up again.

"Cracking the shell, begin energy convergence."

The crystal turrets swung toward the middle, and as the lasers passed along the invisible barrier… Felina blinked to make sure she saw out of both eyes. This couldn't be real.

A black film showed where the lasers passed, spreading along the frame as the beams headed for the center. Looked like one big oil slick to her, with the way the ribbons of color passed back and forth. In no more than a minute, the lasers converged, and the lead scientist cut his right index finger along his neck. The beams cut off, and the gateway finished all on its own.

She looked behind her, only to find Chance with a stunned expression on his face. Jake though, he was beaming. "That was the most awesome thing I've ever seen," the slim tom whispered.

Felina turned toward the gate again. "Yeah, well let's hope it's not the last awesome thing you see." She looked toward the tom in the lab coat. "We done here?"

He looked up toward the control room again and the techs gave him another thumbs-up. "It's holding stable, Captain. You can enter. Just… remember what I told you. The only things that are real are you three, our former colleague, and any solid objects. You can't just pass through a wall without some kind of dimensional breach in front of it, and even then it takes an incredible amount of will power to do."

Felina rolled her shoulders. "No shadows, no entry. Got it." That meant cars could still hit them though. Then again, if no one drove them, and they were just sitting on the curb… She shuddered at the thought of what someone with a far less focused mind… one more motivated by greed… would do if they knew about this gateway.

"I want this thing destroyed after we're back." Felina glanced to her right at the tom in the lab coat. "This thing was mothballed for a reason. The government just doesn't know what it really is. They're too focused on the bottom line." She turned toward the window again. "I even hear about this project still in operation, I'll use every resource I have to shut you down. Follow me?"

The tom nodded so fast his glasses threatened to fall off his nose. "Yes ma'am, Captain Feral."

She nodded and marched up the ramp, Chance and Jake in tow. "Then let's finish this."

* * *

**Chapter 10 – _Gone Hunting_**

Well I'd say that's enough for that. Think I've kept this one from you guys long enough.

I wouldn't want to hold the end of this one back from you guys for too long, but the ideas have drained from my poor little skull, and now it needs to be filled back up again. So the next chapter may not come until next week. Hell, next month if there's a significant block. Still, I will be working on this and Beyond Alpha for quite some time, so I suggest you guys watch your inboxes for alerts!

On that note, for anyone that just started reading this story, stop right now. Yes, stop and go to **Endgame** to see how this all started. Then read this all over again and relive the whole experience.

That said! I figure now is the time to thank all those who helped me get to ten chapters! All the reviews have helped motivate me, and I've lost count of how many times I've read each one. This story has really caught fire, and I have you guys to thank for it. I'd also like to thank ulyferal for cleaning my chapters up. Very useful to have a beta that knows what she's doing.

Okay, time to go have a glass of water now and think about the next few chapters. Bye.

_This is your Slayer._


	11. Chapter 11

Angela glared at the clock on the table to the right of her bed. The digital readout faithfully displayed the time, eight in the evening. Fuck.

She groaned and pulled the covers from her shoulders, down the length of her body. Way too late for someone to come knocking. The redhead re-tied the sash around her sea green night gown and trudged barefoot down the hallway. This better be damn important!

The knock on the door came again, insistent. "Shut up and keep your shirt on, I'm coming!" No use being cordial. If the kat on the other side of the door wasn't here for a fucking good reason, she'd slap the taste so far out of their mouth it'd take a year to get it back.

Any thoughts of violence dissipated once she looked through the peep hole. Her eyes widened as a certain five foot six, blond-haired, green-eyed she-kat stood at the entrance to her apartment, wearing jeans and a halter top. The queen lifted her right hand to knock again, but before the fist reached its destination, Angela unlocked the door and pulled it open. "Callie! What are you…?"

"I know what time it is," the candidate for Mayor said with a weary smile, her eyes tinged with sadness. "Just let me in and get me somewhere to sleep. Please?"

Angela stepped aside, her features concerned as she took a better look at the suit case. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as the slightest inkling of trouble flashed through her mind. "Something happened, didn't it?"

Callie sighed, pausing four feet away from the doorway at the question. "I… I don't want to talk about it." Her voice broke just enough to hint at the answer. "I'll explain tomorrow, just put me down somewhere." She chuckled, a bitter cast to the laugh. "Hell, I'll take the couch if you want."

"Like hell you are!" Angela closed and locked the door, strode toward her best friend, and confiscated the suitcase. Damn thing felt like it had bricks in it instead of clothing. She lifted it anyway. "You're sleeping in the master bedroom, with me. And you are _not_ going to argue, we clear?"

Callie smirked. "Like I have the energy to debate this anyway."

The two she-kats marched through the foyer, past the kitchen, down the plush carpet hallway and right through the door to the master bedroom. Angela set up the suitcase near the closet to the left side of the bed, then turned and pointed toward the queen-sized bed. "Shoes off, get in. Don't worry about changing into anything, just go to sleep."

Callie gave a mock salute. "Yes, drill sergeant."

Angela folded her arms in front of her chest as her running mate did as ordered. "You really do owe me an explanation tomorrow. And breakfast for the next two days." She grinned. "Can't have you staying here completely free, now can we?"

"Slave driver."

"Damn straight!" Angela slid into her side of the bed and pulled the covers up toward her shoulders again. "Besides, I haven't had your specific brand of cooking in a long time. Gonna be good to eat something that isn't half burned!"

Callie groaned. "You're hopeless."

Ten minutes after the two of them settled down and closed their eyes, Angela wrapped her arms around the blonde's waist and pulled her close. Her ears twitched at the sound of Calico Briggs's sobs, and she felt hot tears stream down her cheeks as well. A lance of hatred spiked through her heart with each sharp inhale her friend took.

When they found Donovan and his cronies, she'd send them all to the deepest pit of Hell for whatever they'd done to make her Callie break down like this.

* * *

**Kanto the Slayer** presents

A _SWAT Kats_ Fanfiction

**_MegaKat Shield_**

* * *

"Seriously? No way!"

"Yeah, I think that was pretty clever of me," Callie said with a smirk. She turned the pancakes cooking on the griddle over, revealing a perfect golden dollar on one side. "The only way they'll find me now is if they comb over the whole city for me. By my estimations, that'll take at least three months."

"That's more than enough time to come up with a counter-strategy!" Angela laughed. "I didn't know you could pull a fast one like that, girl!"

Callie shrugged as she scrambled some eggs, turning them over in the hot skillet. "It's nothing but resourcefulness. I kinda have a knack for getting out of tight spots like that." She moved over to flip the pancakes again. "Perfect." She slid the spatula underneath the hot cakes and dumped them on a nearby plate to the right of the stove. "Two more coming up!"

Angela stared at her from the counter, her tail swinging in a figure eight. "That never ceases to amaze me. You _always_ get it right the first time." She chuckled. "I can't even make the eggs right, and that's the _easy_ part!"

Callie smiled as she checked on the chicken-apple sausage links. "Why don't you take notes? I mean, it's not like I'll be here forever, right?"

Angela pouted. "I'd rather just eat it. I've done enough note-taking at work and at school to last me a lifetime." She propped her elbows on the counter, chin in her hands. "So what are we gonna do about this… situation? They might have the resources to find you in _weeks_ instead of months. I'm not sure if I want this place wiretapped as well…"

Callie nodded. "Already thought of that. I'm gonna contact Jake, see if he can't get rid of the annoying pests in my house. Hopefully he'll be able to do something about it before the end of next week." She pulled the sausages off of the fire and set them on a separate plate. "Okay, breakfast is ready!"

Angela hopped off of the barstool she occupied and headed for the oak wood coffee table just in front of the living room couch. "Bring it in here, please. We'll brainstorm while we eat."

They brought the plates out of the kitchen one after another, and after setting up their dishes, they were ready to feast. The redhead sighed after one bite of the pancakes. "God, yes." She took her time finishing the piece of heavenly hot cakes before she spoke again. "You know, I'd ask you for the recipe for these if I didn't think I'd screw it up."

Callie shook her head. "It's not that hard, Snowy. Just gotta put the right amount of the right things into it." She cleared her throat. "Listen, I'd rather not brainstorm about anything right now. We've got other things to worry about."

Angela blanched. "You mean… about tonight, right?"

"Right." The flaxen she-kat looked toward her copper-top friend. "I know you're nervous. This isn't the usual crowd. But you've got me and Penny behind you, or in front of you, whichever comes first at the time." Callie placed her right hand on Snowy's left shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "You'll be fine, and any time you're not, let me know so we can get some air." She grinned. "Besides, it's a party, no matter how freaky it seems. You're gonna be all dressed up like everyone else, so enjoy it!"

Angela gave a timid smile. "Just wish I were as confident as you about all this. Only place I feel at ease is in a court room." The last place anyone should feel at home. "Where do you get it from anyways?"

Callie stared down at her plate, her eyes distant and expression soft. "I don't know sometimes, Snowy. The only thing I can do is just move forward through whatever it is I'm afraid of." She smirked. "It's not easy to do that all the time, especially since fear exists to keep one safe from danger." Callie looked up at Angela, her face still glum. "But if you know it's something you have to do, or really want to do, you have to feel the fear and go through with it anyway."

Angela tapped her chin with one finger. "So… fake it until you make it?"

Callie's face broke out into a wide grin. "Something like that, yeah."

Breakfast finished in quiet fashion and the rest of the day wound through its patterns, the two of them electing not to go to the office at all. Seven in the evening rolled around without preamble and the doorbell rang just as Callie finished buttoning up the waist cincher for Angela's costume. "Hang on, I'm coming!"

She snapped the last one in place and jogged toward the door, hair bouncing with each step. She stopped three feet short of the front door and let out all the air in her lungs. Her eyes relaxed and her mind slowed its pace as she focused, not on the door, but behind the door. She stretched her energy through the barrier and it encountered… someone familiar. A heavy presence that she'd been around long enough to feel from anywhere.

The whole thing took four seconds.

Callie radiated confidence as she closed the distance to the door and turned the knob before the next knock. "Hi, Penny." She gave the dark she-kat a quick once-over. "That is a _ton_ of silver." She fingered one of the charms around the Goth's neck. "What're they all for?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Protection… and what are you doing in Angie's apartment?" She stepped through the entrance and closed the door behind her. "The plan was to pick you up from your place."

Callie shrugged. "Plans change. I'd rather not say how." She cocked her right hip and tilted her head to the left. "So, how do I look?"

Penny smirked and placed a hand on one of the candidate's shoulders. "Boss, I'm not into girls, and even _I_ think you're hot right now." She kicked her boots off and left them on the tile entry way as she treaded further into the apartment. "Is Angie ready yet? We're leaving in five minutes."

"I'm coming!" came from down the hallway as Angela rushed to run a brush through her hair. A bolt of red hair wearing a black and red costume shot into the living room thirty seconds later, the straps of a black leather tote bag over her right shoulder. "Okay, set to go!" She sauntered toward the front door, a pair of heels dangling from her left hand. "Do I look okay, Penny?"

"If you're asking if everything's on straight and your hair's not tangled… " Penny walked over to her and undid the waist cincher. "This is all wrong. Hold still." She fit the piece of clothing two inches higher than Callie had set it. "Let me know if you can still breathe." She flashed a toothy grin as she tightened the corset with a methodical slowness. "You okay there?" she asked after three seconds of adjusting.

Angela squeaked as the accessory threatened to cave her ribs in, or at least that's what her brain told her. "Barely! Can't you ease off a bit?"

"No. This's gonna fall off if it's not set right." She looked up again after a bit. "Take a few deep breaths for me, see how it feels."

Angela glared down at the Goth, killing her on the spot with her icy stare. "I swear you're enjoying this." She took in a slow, deep lungful of air and found that she could still do it without discomfort. She let out a sigh and inhaled again, this time with more confidence. After a slow exhale, she looked down at her again. "Okay, so maybe you know what you're doing."

Penny nodded. "I always know what I'm doing." She got started tying it off. "Wore the things all the time when I was first getting into the scene. I learned real quick what _not_ to do." She patted Angela's lower back and stood, stretching her arms above her head. "Well, let's haul ass. We got a long drive ahead of us."

Callie raised an eyebrow. "How long exactly?"

The Goth peered over her right shoulder with the same grin she showed to Angela. "We're headed for the West End."

* * *

Angela's eyes nearly popped out of her head as they took in the neon signs and bright lights of the casinos. She stared at the metallic paint of each car they passed, trying to figure how much each of them cost in the back of her mind.

"You look like such a little kid, Snowy."

She looked to her left at Callie's soft, warm smile. "Well I can't help it! I've never seen this part of town before, never even knew it existed!" She stared out the window again. "God, I wish I could live here. It's like a little Vegas."

Penny scoffed, her expression turning sour. "No you don't. It costs an arm and a leg, and probably part of your soul. I'd rather just stay at my mom's house than in one of the apartments here."

Angela turned her head to the driver's seat. "You mean you still live at your parents' place?"

"Are you kidding?" The Goth chuckled. "My dad doesn't exactly approve of my lifestyle. I go there and he'll make me put on something he thinks is more my style. I'll be banned from the club, forever." Penny groaned at the thought. "I'd rather die first. 'S why I have my own place."

Angela gave a smirk toward the back of Penny's head. "And just where is this place of yours?"

Penny shook her head. "That's a story for another time. We're almost there."

The car pulled up in front of a three-story black building, colored lights flashing out from the third story windows. A line formed on the sidewalk, stretching halfway down the block. The club's logo glowed twelve feet above the double-door entrance in light blue neon, cursive script ending in the shape of a she-kat's head with hooded eyes.

"The Laser Kitten, huh?" Callie chuckled as she ran the name through her head. "At least it's creative." She looked around at the up-front parking with a frown. "Looks packed. You sure we're on time?"

Penny glanced over to the digital clock on the dashboard. "Early, actually." She drove toward one of the spots marked valet and put the car in park. "Come on, let's go." She opened her door and stepped out, leaving the engine running and the keys inside.

Angela's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as Callie opened her door as well and exited the ride. "Hang on, we're not supposed to be doing this! What if someone just up and takes it?" She scrambled out of the car and jogged toward them as they headed for an orange-furred tom in a red vest on top of a white shirt, wearing black slacks and polished dress shoes. "You guys, we're not supposed to leave the car running!"

Penny rolled her eyes. "Quit freaking out and just pay attention, okay? I know what I'm doing." She stopped in front of the tom and smiled at him. "What's goin' on, Tony?"

His eyes widened as he caught a good look at her. "Hey! Penny! Haven't seen you in a few nights, what gives?" He reached over and ruffled her hair, a broad grin stretched across his face. "People been askin' around about you, y'know." The tom peered toward Callie and Angela. "Been making new friends?"

Penny chuckled as she ran a hand through her hair, smoothing out her tussled locks. "You could say that." She thumbed behind her shoulders as she introduced them. "This is Callie and Angie, we're co-workers for lack of a better term. Yes they're nicknames, no you can't ask for their real names, and we need the car in a place it won't get stolen."

Tony smirked at her curt response. "Yeah, straight to the point as always." He raised his right hand, snapped his fingers, and almost out of thin air another tom dressed just like him walked up to them. "Same deal as always."

The tom nodded and headed toward Penny's coupe, climbed inside, and drove off with it toward a valet parking garage not too far from the club. Angela watched it go, anxiety written all over her face.

Callie chuckled and squeezed her right shoulder. "Relax. They'll keep it safe. Don't tell me you've never seen a valet service before." She released her hold on Angela and headed for the club doors. "Let's go meet Penny's friends, shall we?"

"Not through there, you won't." Tony stepped in front of her and pointed toward the alley to the right of the building. "Only way in where you guys are going is the rear lobby. Pair of elevators heads to the sub-levels from there."

Callie nodded and turned toward where he directed. "Thanks a lot. Girls, let's get a move on, we're probably getting later just standing here."

He placed a hand on her right shoulder. "Hold on for a second… Since this is your first time here, lemme give you a bit of advice…" Tony turned her so that she faced him again and tried to lower his voice so only she could hear. "Don't let them see you're afraid of them. They feed off that stuff, love to freak you out even more."

Callie chuckled. "It's only a lifestyle, nothing big or bad about it."

Tony shook his head before taking a few steps back, his features tinged with a grim expression. "Don't be so sure of that." The smile returned as if he hadn't said anything about it. "Have fun guys!"

Callie raised an eyebrow as the tom walked over to the next few cars parked in the up-front valet area. "What was all that about?"

"What was what about?"

She turned toward the direction of Penny's voice, near the alley. She strode over and headed toward the back, the other two she-kats in tow. "He warned me not to show my fear while I was down there. Said they feed off of it or something."

Penny fell silent for three seconds with her head bowed before she gave a nod. "Tony's never given bad advice. It's his gift." She looked up at Callie. "There's some stuff down there that your average, everyday citizen isn't ready for. You guys might get very creeped out before this is over."

Angela winced as the warning punched straight through her. "Kindly enlighten me why we're going into the equivalent of a haunted house again?"

Penny looked over her right shoulder. "There are only two kinds of people who come to these every Saturday night: those who are curious and those who are drawn." She looked ahead again as they neared the corner. "The curious only stay for one night, or keep coming until they get bored of it. Those drawn to it, however, can't help but come. They're compelled to."

Callie nodded. "So which group do we belong to?"

The Goth beamed at the blonde. "That's why I brought you here… to find out."

They headed toward the rear entrance, a pair of metal doors that slid to either side, revealing another entryway with a receptionist in front. She smiled at them, wearing… Callie blinked. "Is that a… French maid outfit?"

Sure enough, the she-kat before them wore a French maid costume in red and black instead of the traditional coloring, her lips painted black and shadows painted under her eyes. The bright smile she wore almost put the whole picture out of place. "Welcome, ladies!" She looked toward Penny for a moment, then gave her a bow. "Milady… It's been a few nights since we saw you last."

Penny only gave a curt nod in response. "These two are with me, I'll take care of their cover." She withdrew a black leather wallet with a skull printed on one side from her left pocket and fished out three twenty dollar bills. "That should be all for that."

"Actually, that's more than you need." The maid kat chuckled. "Five dollars off for first-timers tonight. You got lucky this time." She looked toward Callie, blue eyes boring into her skull before she nodded. "Good pick, this one. The other…" She turned her head toward Angela, stared for a brief moment, then smirked. "…I'm not so sure about."

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Angela glared at the maid kat, hands on her hips, brows furrowed. "What, you don't think I belong here?"

The receptionist shrugged. "You said it, not me."

Angela stepped forward, claws out and fangs bared, when a light touch on her shoulder made her freeze in her tracks.

"That's enough."

Angela glanced back at Callie, who stared past her at the maid, a look of cold disdain in her eyes. The receptionist turned her face away after three seconds of the imperious stare. "…Sorry."

Callie nodded, allowing herself a brief smile. "I forgive you."

Penny whistled, eyebrows high. "You just took out the main obstacle for most newbs that come down here without saying a word." She grinned and clapped Angela on the shoulder. "As for you, she baits everyone like that. Now you know for next time, right?"

Angela folded her arms across her chest and turned her head to one side. "Well it's not a nice way to treat people."

Penny nodded. "You're right, it's not. But no one down here is completely nice. I'm gonna admit, sometimes it's gonna get very, very personal." She removed her hand. "If you wanna go back outside, now's the time."

Angela stayed as she was for a few seconds, then lifted her head. "Might as well get it done, then. It happens again though, and I'm dragging Callie toward the elevator and we're catching a cab home."

They headed toward one of the two lifts, Angela still grumbling to herself about how bad of an idea this was as Penny pressed in the call button. "Come on," Callie said as she squeezed Angela's shoulder again, "It's not always gonna be that bad."

Penny nodded. "For the most part, these kats are a pretty accepting bunch, especially the ones I'm gonna have you sit with. Just be warned though… they do kinda have a barbed-wire sense of humor."

The lift closed, obscuring the maid kat as she waved at them. "Down the rabbit hole, Alice!"

* * *

The lift made its way down into the basement, its soft hum the only sound resonating through the cabin. Callie shivered as a tingle shot down her spine, all the way to the tip of her tail.

Penny looked over, almost as if on cue. "What's it feel like?"

Callie shook her head, lacking the words to describe what just happened. Then she took in a rattling breath of air. "Heavy. Like a wet blanket on my shoulders."

Penny nodded and turned toward the doors again. "Not everyone feels something. Some are just here for the music and the freak show." She allowed herself a smirk. "Some have even called it that to my face. I just laugh."

Angela flinched, the words an arrow through her heart. She fiddled with her hands, her tail swinging back and forth nervously, her features turned down with guilt.

"Don't sweat it." Penny squeezed Angela's right shoulder, trying to reassure her. "You'll be fine down here. Just remember to keep an open mind."

The lift came to a halt within seconds and the doors opened, smoke billowing into the elevator. As they walked through, a scene straight out of a vampire novel greeted them. Kats dressed in elegant costume, some dressed in something far less so. Waitresses walking around in the same red and black maid outfit as the one they'd run into earlier, handing out goblets instead of martini glasses. Red lasers arced around the club, briefly illuminating dancing figures as the eerie music made their ears twitch.

Callie felt the eyes on her and Angela as they made their way through the room, a host of gazes staring through them as Penny guided them to a more exclusive part of the club. The decorations became far more elegant the further they headed toward the back, to the point of rich draperies and candle-lit, silk-covered tables.

Callie looked around as if seeing the world for the first time. "Who has the money for all this?" she whispered.

"A better question," a voice in front of her replied, "Would be what is he really doing with it?"

She looked down from her explorations to find a white-furred tom with a black patch over his left eye. He stood about as tall as she did, with a medium build and a black suit, tailored. She couldn't sense anything from him, which made part of her nervous. Callie didn't let it show as she gave him a polite smile. "I'm going to assume you're the organizer."

He shrugged. "That's the first time I've been called that. I've been called a mentor, a ringleader, a magician, but never an organizer." The tom chuckled as he pointed at three empty seats. "Please, be welcome."

The three she-kats sat, and Callie looked around the table. Most of the kats at the table were dressed in elegantly-designed black costumes, while others were a bit more dressed-down. Her gaze stopped when she saw a kitten too young to even consider being in any club at all, much less this type of party. Her morose expression made her look far older than her tiny body allowed for.

Instead of a deep black, her dress was a deep purple, with a ribbon in her sandy brown hair to match. Her hazel eyes held such sadness that Callie wanted to reach out and hug her, but stayed away out of some kind of respect. Before she could turn to anyone and ask who this kitten was, the little thing looked up at her.

She couldn't look away for all of ten seconds. When she finally blinked, the kitten smiled at her.

"That's new…"

Callie looked over at the tom she hadn't been introduced to yet, his right hand stroking his chin. "From the time we picked this one up, she's never smiled, ever." He looked over at Penny. "You brought me a rare one this time."

Penny nodded. "She really is something else." The black haired she-kat looked toward Callie. "This is Shane, the guy who sets up these parties every Saturday night. Guys, this is Callie and Angie, friends of mine from work."

Everyone at the table nodded toward them, yet the kitten in the purple costume continued to stare at her, as if fixed on something no one else could see. Shane smiled down at her. "This one has a special talent. She has a box of cards that she carries with her everywhere, and plays with them every once in a while." He looked up at Callie. "Of course, these cards tell a story, and the story always comes to pass if one acts on it. For example… they told us you'd be coming here."

Callie raised an eyebrow, while Angela's face looked impassive. "Is that so?" the redhead deadpanned.

Shane glanced toward her. "I see you don't take much stock in what can't be proven." He smiled. "That's fine, we take all kinds here. Some just come here to dress up when it's not appropriate otherwise. Others just come for the music. It takes all kinds." He turned toward Callie again. "You though… you take a good look at what _isn't_ there, what's _not_ being said. It's why you're sitting here right now. You're wondering why everyone _else_ is here."

Callie nodded. "I have to admit, I'm curious. I was told that a few here have things that scare other kats. But so far, I don't see the problem."

Shane nodded. "To be frank, I'm the only one here you could call normal. I just don't take the world at face value. I look at what's underneath, what's ignored." He gestured to his right, at a tiger-striped tom. "Take this one for example. He has his eyes closed for a reason. Talk to him, and you won't get an answer. Threaten him or anyone else at this table, and he will know it an eye-blink before it happens." He gestured to his right, at a brunette with a cream coat. She smiled as Shane introduced her. "This one's an empath. One of my associates found her on the brink of suicide and brought her here when he managed to convince her there was another way."

He looked around at the others. "There are others here with similar traits, into things that many find too eccentric for their tastes. But as I said before, it takes all kinds. Ignoring the unknown is cowardice."

Callie smiled. "I can see your point." She relaxed in her seat. "So then, what exactly am I here for, besides just looking nice? You guys were expecting me, so I suspect there's a reason behind it."

Shane leaned forward, his eyes hidden behind the light flaring off of his glasses. "You tell me. Why did you come, when you could have easily gone somewhere else? You were told that there were potentially frightening things down here. I'm sure Penny explained it, and I know you're staying silent out of respect. An admirable course of action, but it doesn't really reveal what you're made of."

Callie stayed silent for a moment, wondering what exactly would be the best thing to say. She suddenly felt wary, as if everyone at the table weighed her on some unseen scale. "I… came to understand."

"Understand what?"

His words cut into her thoughts, stopping them wholesale. Her skin tingled as she tried to find some kind of right answer. "Guess you could say I'm trying to understand Penny, but now…" She looked up from her musings, her face serene, even though her nerves sparked and fizzled. "…I'm trying to understand you."

Shane sat there, contemplating her words. Then he nodded. "Well like I said, there's not much to understand about me. I just bring in what's ignored, thrown away, discarded, and display its true worth. I don't force anyone here to do or say anything they don't approve of, and violence is not tolerated." He chuckled. "We don't bite unless you want us to."

Callie shrugged. "Didn't say you would." She looked at Penny. "So… what now?"

Penny grinned. "Now we have fun! I mean, you can do what you want down here. Dance, get something to eat, just hang out, whatever." She shrugged. "The reason you're here is the same reason anyone else is out at this hour, in this part of town, on a Saturday night."

Callie chuckled. "Aside from a good drink and some good conversation, I can't see the reason. I mean, I can't dance for shit. I bet Snowy's better than I am!"

Penny glanced toward Angela. "Oh, I gotta see that."

Angela blushed as everyone's focus shifted to her. "I'm not all that good either! I mean, I know a little, but…"

Penny cut into her sentence. "We'll see about that. Come on!" She stood and just about dragged the redhead toward the dance floor. "You sure you don't want to join us, Callie?"

Callie grinned. "Nope, you two go ahead! I'll just be here watching!"

Angela struggled to get out of Penny's grip. "No, Callie! You can't just let her do this! I thought we were friends!" She leveled a glare at the blonde as she faded from view. "I'm gonna _get_ you for this, just you wait!"

Everyone at the table had a good laugh before Callie turned back toward Shane. "So the way you put it, this is kinda like a focus group, or at least some kind of therapy. I like the sound of that."

Shane shrugged. "It's been put that way by some, and to an extent, that's what it started as. But I like to think of it now as a celebration of what's different." He raised an eyebrow and leaned forward again. "I have yet to find out what's different about you, though."

Callie raised an eyebrow. "You mean Penny didn't tell you yet?"

He shook his head. "That's not her responsibility. But the fact that she brought you down to this table, instead of just visiting the club for a good time, means that there is indeed something unique about you."

She shrugged. "Is there really anything special about what I can do? It's just me having better senses than most. I can…" She gestures with her hands, trying to elaborate. "It's nothing like empathy or telepathy. I can just sense…"

Shane smiled. "It's brave of you to just try and explain what you personally don't understand, or can't name. I've run into someone else with your particular talent. I understand it's nothing like reading feelings or thoughts. You can just sense life itself, auras and energy."

Callie pointed toward him, her eyes wide. "Exactly! I mean, if someone tried to sneak up on me, I'd feel them before they did whatever they intended to, and long before they did it. Just don't expect me to think of a name for it, because I can't."

Shane nodded. "I trust you know how to expand your own aura as well, right?"

Callie raised an eyebrow, giving him a confused look. "Yeah… but how do you know about that?"

Shane smiled. "The one that sat to your right can do the same thing. She works with you, so I'm sure you've noticed by now." He stopped Callie before she could say anything. "You don't have to come up with a name for it, because I already have. You and she have a sort of personal radar about you. You can tell when something is out of place before anyone else notices, see what's going on behind a door without having to open it. I like to call those with this ability Sensors."

Callie blinked for a moment as the information sank into her head. "That… sounds about right." She grinned at him. "You know what, I like you guys. I think this is why Penny brought me over here, to meet people as… unique as I am."

Shane chuckled. "You can call us weird if you want. That's exactly what everyone else does, and we just say they're right." He felt a tug on his jacket and looked down at the kitten, who pointed at Callie. "It looks like she wants to use her cards." He looked at the brunette to his left. "Could you go with them?"

She nodded and stood as the kitten hopped down from her position next to Shane. "This way, please." She headed toward another booth, two away from the one they sat in, and Callie followed, curious as to what this entailed… and why the kitten in the purple dress and the elaborate bow in her hair hadn't spoken a word since they'd met.

"She's mute."

Callie raised an eyebrow. "I didn't even ask."

The brunette nodded. "You felt the need to, so I answered. And my name's not important right now, just as long as I know yours." She looked over her right shoulder with a smile. "You have a very warm feeling about you. I can understand why she smiled so easily." She looked ahead again as they approached a crimson red velvet curtain. "Even I feel like smiling around you."

Callie nodded. "Let's hope this doesn't make any of us unhappy then."

* * *

They stepped through the curtain, and the kitten was already pulling out the deck from a pouch at the small of her back. Callie inhaled the smell of the vanilla-scented candles as they embraced the three of them with a soft, almost soothing light. The brunette had Callie sit just across from the kitten while she stood just at the curtain, in view of the table. "She can't speak," the she-kat intoned, "But she can still hear you. You are to ask a question, but consider it carefully. Take as long as you need to sort it out in your mind."

Callie closed her eyes, taking in the scents hanging above their heads. Her thoughts began to whirl as soon as she heard the word question. She could ask anything at all and the cards would give her the truth of the matter, potentially even an answer to the problem.

It didn't take long before one question bubbled up above all others, clearing her mind of any doubt.

She opened her eyes and started to speak. "I need to stop someone from doing something very bad to me. They've already done it once, and now they're doing it again on a whole other level. If this goes any further, these people will ruin everything I've worked for, and at the expense of a lot of kats I care about." She lowered her head, eyes fixed on the table. "But I have no idea what I should do about it." She directed her gaze toward the kitten, whose blue eyes seemed to lock on her every move. "If these cards really do as Shane said… I need an answer. What can I do?"

The kitten looked down at the deck, face down on the table, and began to cut it into six different piles, then stack them in order again, taking her time in doing it. She shuffled again, a third time, a fourth time… then placed a hand on top of the first card.

"One covers you," the brunette said as the card was turned over and placed on the table. She looked at the image, a she-kat with a cream coat wearing a robe and hat, with a falcon on her right hand. Nine coins surrounded her. "This card shows your current situation, your present state. The queen in the picture says to show restraint and discipline."

Callie's eyes narrowed just slightly. She'd done that. She was still doing it, refraining from getting angry or upset. Was this card just asking for more of it, or was it just describing how she felt right now? She shook her head. It would probably come up later anyway.

The kitten turned the second card, placed it on top of the first so that it formed a cross. A young tom grinned, wearing red and gold clothing and holding a walking stick. A desert scene was in the background. "Two crosses you. This card is a challenge or obstacle, whether seen or not. The kat in the picture brings you a message. An opportunity is coming where you can use your charm and creativity fully, a chance to inspire and energize. When it comes, do not hesitate."

The next card came up, below the first card, and the nearest one to Callie. "Three is beneath you. This card is the root of the subject at hand." The brunette pointed at the card, a portrait of a she-kat with black hair and a brown coat, wearing a blue and white gown. She held a sizable chalice over her head. "A figure from the distant past speaks to you. She says to be intuitive and to open your mind to that which is not seen." She smiled. "I've heard you can do that."

Callie nodded. It meant that she'd have to keep a look out for things like those that she found in the apartment. She looked at the card again, a face identical to hers flashing in her mind. Did she have to deal with this as well?

The fourth card, to the left of the first, depicted a blind she-kat with a pair of scales in one hand and a sword in the other, sitting on a throne between two pillars. "Four is behind you. This is something more recent, but still in the past. It's something that is exiting the scene, fading in influence. The kat in the card speaks of justice and balance, of actions and consequences. One party was wronged, and the offender had their comeuppance."

Callie smirked as the incident played itself in her mind again. They hadn't expected her to know exactly what they were doing, did they? So much for their recon. She frowned. Of course, that meant they resorted to what they did to her apartment…

The fifth card showed itself, above the two in the middle. "Five crowns you. This is the ideal, the best situation that could happen." A pair of kats held each other, foreheads touching, staring at each other with bedroom eyes. "The kats in the card speak and say to join together, set aside differences. To unite forces instead of clashing."

Callie peered at the card a bit closer, and then blushed. "The Lovers…" Her blush deepened as she thought of Chance holding her like that. She would definitely have to think about this one, but it wasn't part of the question. Why the hell would she want to team up with the guy that spied on her? Was this really the best way to solve this?

"I can tell you're confused… but you have to trust the cards. If this really is the best solution, you should aim for it."

Callie shook her head. "The kats doing this won't settle for that." She sighed. "As much as I'd like this not to turn ugly… it will." She tried to smile, knowing it wasn't a real one. "Sorry. Keep going."

The kitten's eyes softened, her expression turning a bit sad. She pulled the next card and turned it over, just to the right of the two cards in the center. The brunette spoke again. "Six is before you. This is what's coming, an event or obstacle down the road that has to be overcome." A tom wearing a suit of leather armor seemed to launch himself at six other staves, holding one of his own high in the air, ready to smash it down on the first one below him. "A battle is coming, and one has to make their stand. The tom in the card is assertive and aggressive, leaping into the fray because he knows he is in the right."

Callie tried not to let the grimace on her face show. She knew what battles amounted to in politics. As she looked at another card, the one on top of the first, she suddenly realized what she had to do. The rest of the reading would go on, and she would hear it, but she had to make the first strike _before_ the first debate.

The brunette broke into her thoughts as the kitten placed the next card, farther to the right of the other six cards. "Seven is who you are. It is what you truly think and feel." The card showed a regal-looking tom sitting on a thrown, wearing red and gold with a crown on his head and a staff in his right hand. He had a broad smile on his face. "The tom in the card says to launch yourself into anything you choose, to seize the advantage. He is aggressive and bold, facing his opponents head-on."

Callie nodded. That was definitely what she felt like doing. She wanted to kick this guy's ass into next week, and then leave him to the Enforcers to kick his ass into the week after that before locking him away for a very long time. Manx would be next. She had enough dirt on him to tear his bid for reelection to shreds.

She looked at the first card and her thoughts slowed to a halt. No. She wouldn't play dirty pool. The only way to win was to win clean. She wouldn't let the system destroy her, not before she changed it.

The next card came up, forcing Callie to pay attention to it. A she-kat sat on the ground beside a night dark stream, the moon and stars gleaming above her and reflected in the water beside her. The kitten placed the card just above the one before. "Eight is who others think you are. It is the impressions and influences that you can't control. The kat in the picture is a dreamer, a visionary. She is a light in the darkness, guiding those who would otherwise go without."

Callie stared at the card for a few moments, her mind turning this over in her head. She hadn't heard the reaction from the people about her announcement. In all fairness, she was just running because no one else would, too afraid to lose. "Is that… really what they think?"

The brunette nodded. "That's what this card says." She placed a finger on the card. "She has the power to bring the light of the stars to the world, if only she reached her hands up to the heavens instead of just looking." She frowned. "There are those that would stop this, out of fear of what might happen."

Callie couldn't take her eyes from the card. They were afraid of her… because in a long line of challengers, she was the first with a possibility to win. They would hunt her down and humiliate her, sabotage everything, just to keep her from simply _bulldozing_ her way through, because she had the capacity to do just that.

Callie nodded, finally turning her attention away from the card. That was enough for her.

She held her attention on the next card… and shuddered at what her eyes took in. Nine swords floated precariously above a bed, as if about to fall and pierce the one sleeping there. But the kat seemed awake, sitting up as if startled from a nightmare. "Nine is hope and fear. The anxieties and worries, that which keeps you awake at night. Funny that this card should be a nine too." The brunette chuckled as she continued onward. "The kat in the bed just woke up from a terrible dream. He sees the swords above him and thinks the dream is still there, waiting to claim him the next time he closes his eyes, so he refuses to sleep. But was the dream from worry, or was it from guilt?"

Callie looked at the card, her features turned down. Probably both, if she were the one in that bed.

The brunette smiled and lifted her head from the table to look toward Callie. "Ten is the culmination, the most possible outcome. Not the best as in the crown, but the one that is most likely to happen." The card showed a tom sitting on a horse, dressed in armor decorated with blue and white cloth and drinking from a chalice. He looked satisfied, his features content. "The tom in the card speaks of love and poetry, of rescuing the damsel as much as writing a song about her. He questions and seeks beneath the surface, but most of all he constantly strives to improve himself."

Callie looked at the card for quite some time, understanding just who it meant to be. It wasn't rocket science after she had the whole thing explained to her. He'd have to take care of it while she handled the rally, as much as she'd like to take care of this herself.

Callie looked up at the kitten, which was looking right back at her again. Or had her eyes left at all while she placed the cards? Didn't matter, did it? The blonde smiled, and the kitten smiled back. "Thank you so much. I know exactly what to do now."

* * *

"Admit it, you had fun! And you're a better dancer than you think, so quit blushing." Penny slid into the car, a huge grin plastered to her face. "You should have _seen_ her, Callie. She really let herself go after a few drinks."

Callie looked back at Angela. "Seriously, drinks? You're lucky we're taking Sunday off too, or else we'd be in deep!"

Angela tried to shrink, her shoulders hunched and hands folded in front of her. "You guys are mean. I was a total nutcase out there, and you know it! I'm never coming back here again." She pointed toward Callie with an accusing glare. "And you! I'm gonna do something embarrassing to _you_ sooner or later, so you remember not to abandon me again!"

Callie chuckled. "Let's get outta here, Penny. Straight home, no detours."

The Goth nodded. "You got it, boss." She pulled away from the curb and headed back toward the freeway. "So was there something interesting back there? Anything you'd like to come back and experience again?"

Callie nodded. "There were a lot of things, Penny. If I could get half the kats in that club to get interested in politics, I'd have a base of voters no one else would consider." She shrugged. "Too bad no one would go with it. But I got something out of the whole thing anyway."

Angela glanced toward Callie again, having looked out of her window. "And what would that be?"

The would-be mayor grinned, her fangs showing. "I got myself a plan."

Penny smirked. "Mind telling us this grand scheme of yours and who gave it to you?"

Callie shook her head. "Too tired. Let's just get back home before I pass out in the car here."

They arrived back at Angela's apartment before long, and said their goodnights as the door closed. Callie helped her friend toward the master bedroom, trying not to laugh at the occasional stumble. "You know, I could get Penny to tell me the whole thing. That'd be enough blackmail material to get a few good favors out of you when we win this thing."

Angela almost squeaked. "You wouldn't!"

Callie chuckled. "Try me."

The redhead groaned. "What do you want in exchange for her silence?"

They reached the bedroom seconds later, though it seemed like minutes with their pace. "I want you," Callie said with a smile, "To admit that Penny's friends aren't so bad, and that you had fun at the club tonight. Because whether you agree with me or not, I'm going back after the rally, and I'd like you to come with me."

Angela stared at the carpet, wiggling her toes for a few minutes as she hung off of Callie's right arm. "Actually…" She allowed herself a tiny smile. "Some of the guys were _really_ hot, and looked good in black." She looked up at the blonde. "And I really did have fun."

* * *

**Chapter 11: _The Laser Kitten_**

Yes, I had to name it that, because I couldn't think of anything else. I think it's suitable enough, don't you? Well regardless, I have a nearly eight thousand, five hundred word chapter to bring you, and with uncanny timing, since we're almost at Halloween! I feel I need to thank a few reviewers for this one, but I have two people to thank more than anyone else.

Not like you guys aren't important, but it needs to be said.

First, thanks to my good friend Crystal for her expertise on tarot cards! She does amazing shit with 'em and I had to consult her. That was the hardest part of the chapter for me. Second, to my beta, ulyferal. Because she's just that good with turning my crap into gold.

Now it's time to actually move on with the next chapter, because I have done more than enough to torture you guys. Bye!

_This is your Slayer._


	12. Chapter 12

After being hurtled through time, dealing with radioactive mutants, zapping into a reverse-dimension with opposite clones of themselves, and fighting in low earth orbit, this seemed… almost dull in comparison. They'd stepped into an exact replica of the expansive hangar they'd just been in, only with the colors drained from it.

Damn place looked like they'd walked right through the screen of one of those old black-and-white TV sets. When they turned around, they almost had to shield their eyes. The colors seemed brighter, more alive, as if someone turned the contrast a bit too high.

Felina shook her head and turned back toward the grayscale scene before her, devoid of kats. "Hope we don't have to deal with being blinded once we go back through." She plugged in the cable that led from her eye shield to the black box GPS in one of her pouches. "Gear check, switch 'em on."

The Enforcers turned on everything they had, and lines of text flashed across their ballistic glasses. Jake nodded as he switched on his radio next, checked his weapons. "All green. Looks like it all works."

Chance grimaced. "Yeah… and if he gets a good read on us, he'll beat feet to wherever he thinks he can run." He turned toward Felina. "We need to get a fix on his signal, see where he's headed. Hopefully our ride's still where we parked it so we don't have to do anything stupid to get to him."

Felina smirked as she made her way out of the warehouse. "We're in another _dimension_, Detective. It's all stupid, so we can do what we want to do as long as we follow the rules they gave us before we came in here. Besides, there's no one here to get in our way."

She forced herself to retract that statement after they emerged, though.

MASA was still on the move. Radar dishes, vehicles, machines, all still running. Felina found she was unable to say anything at all as her mind tried to comprehend what her eyes took in. But what she saw wasn't the half of it… she couldn't _hear_ anything, either.

"Holy shit…"

Chance's voice made Felina's right ear swivel in his direction. They could hear each other, but they couldn't hear anything and anyone else. It was enough for her to confirm what she feared. "Forget what I said earlier. We're gonna have problems…"

They made their way off the complex, reaching their car in ten minutes. Jake climbed in the back and pulled a glass tablet from one of the pouches on his vest, the fingers of his left hand tapping over the screen in a flurry of movement. "I'm trying to triangulate his signal now. Once we get it, it'll show up on the glasses as an arrow."

Felina shut the driver's side door as Jake finished up. "Get it to me in less than five minutes. Chance, we need him alive. No lethal shots."

The big tom smirked as he buckled up. "Aren't you the one with the no-kill shotgun?"

The Captain nodded. "That doesn't mean you won't want to get a piece of this asshole. Just remember, we bring back a dead body, we don't have a case. So be good, or I'll kick your ass myself."

Chance didn't lose his shit-eating grin. "Copy that."

"Bingo, we got a lock! Transmitting coordinates… now!"

The arrow did indeed show up in their eye shields, along with the distance to the signal's location. Felina glanced back at the slim tom. "Damn, that was quick. You ever time yourself on this stuff?" She faced forward and pressed in the starter button. "All right, let's sack us a bad guy."

* * *

**Kanto the Slayer** presents

A _SWAT Kats_ Fanfiction

**_MegaKat Shield_**

* * *

The hooded tom checked his coordinates, the arrow on his wrist-mounted navigator showing him exactly where he needed to go. The Enforcers probably would have evacuated them by now, but it didn't matter. As long as they had any sort of device on them or their vehicle, he could follow them to the ends of the goddamn earth if he wanted to.

A car shot by in front of him without a sound, missing by two inches and kicking up the tails of his coat. The kat stumbled backward with a hiss, his eyes the size of baseballs as the flurry of oversized tin cans without pilots passed by, leaving the street clear for the moment.

He spit on the sidewalk, cursing under his breath. "Damn traffic…"

His eyes fully occupied with what was in front of him, he looked up at yet another high-rise apartment complex, one that looked the same as all the others like them. With a smirk, he crossed the street, heading for the fire escape. Upward he climbed, running the scenario through his head again as he made his way toward the roof.

He checked his navigator once he reached the top, chuckled when he saw the direction indicated. "They didn't evacuate _anyone_ at all?" His features split into a malicious grin. "Then they know it's pointless… you can't catch someone who can be everywhere." The grin faded as he headed toward the building's access door. He knelt for a brief moment, shrugged the backpack from his shoulders, and opened it. The boxes of bullets and the silencer were both inside, along with three empty magazines.

He reached for the cylinder and zipped up the bag, then pulled the gun out of the holster hidden beneath his coat. As he screwed the can into place, his face stretched into a grimace. "This is so easy now… used to scare me half to death, thinking that someone would catch me or I'd slip into the other side, or get one of my arms stuck every time I reached through a wall." His grimace deepened. "Hell… it's _too_ easy. No one can stop me because no one can come through the window."

The suppressor clicked into place. "It's boring, playing a game of poker you've already won before the cards are dealt." The tom slid his arms through the straps of his pack and stood again. "Doesn't matter though. Boring or not, they all have to die." His mind flashed back to that day, his scream of horror as he realized they'd closed the portal. In fact, it was gone entirely by the time he returned to the testing site.

His teeth creaked as the mask of fury made his face twist, the lines stretching from his mouth and eyes like he'd aged a couple of years in a few seconds. With a snarl, he rammed his right foot into the door, just a few inches above the knob. Splinters flew inward as the lock shattered, and he stormed his way downstairs without another word.

* * *

"We're not gonna be able to get to him, are we?"

Felina peered over at Chance. "We'll get to him. He's got no way to jam our electronics on him, not as far as I can tell." She put her eyes forward again, the siren blaring in her ears. Cars moved out of the way as they shot past an intersection. "Why are you so worried now? We got this."

Chance's eyes narrowed as they made their way ever closer to their mark. "That's not what worries me. He could be at the next kat on his list by now. I want this son of a bitch _before_ he kills again, not after. Otherwise, what's the point?"

"Well I'm going as fast as I can, what do you want me to do? We can't call in air support to pick us up, so this is the only way!" The dark-haired she-kat careened around a left turn, the car barely sticking to the road. "Jake, how long before we reach the target?"

"We should be coming up on him now. Two minutes tops!"

Felina's mouth twisted into a snarl. "Not good enough! Get me an alternate route, ASAP!"

"On it…" Jake's fingers started flying again. "…Okay, alleyway coming up on your right, should be a straight shot! Turn hard on my mark!"

Felina's hands gripped the wheel, her gaze intense. Jake's signal burned in her ears and she just about tore the wheel off. Tires squealed as the Mustang made the turn, missed the brick wall to their left by a hair. They tore out the other side just as a few cars sped past, the front end almost scraping a rear fender. Felina turned hard again and pulled the e-brake, sending the car sliding to a halt. "Haul ass, kats! Move like you got no time!"

The three Enforcers scrambled out of the car, Chance sliding over the hood to catch up. Felina charged through one of the glass doors shoulder first, grateful for the lack of kats in their way. "We'll worry about it when we get back, keep going!"

Chance peered around as he moved; found what he was looking for less than ten seconds away from their big entrance. "Elevators, left side!" He moved first, pressed the call button. The lift to his right opened and they piled in. "Jake, talk to me."

Jake checked his direction marker. "He's heading down, probably entered from the roof. No telling where he's gonna stop…"

"…Which means we have to try and intercept him before he gets where he's going." Felina growled as the doors closed. "It's never easy, is it?" She hit a random floor and the lift started to move. "All right, safeties off. We only have one tom here, so as long as we get a good angle on him and don't let him pass through any walls, we're good. I'm on point. Jake, cover our six."

The slim tom nodded, only half paying attention as the elevator rose and the arrow changed direction. "Whoa, hang on. He's slowing down."

Chance rolled his shoulders, tried to relax. "Then let's do this. We're short on time as it is." He glanced toward Felina. "He's not gonna be expecting us. Guy's got no idea that his way back is open again. If there's a way we can do this without me giving him a new hole..."

Felina shrugged. "He won't want to go back. He's in a place where he can go where he wants, do whatever he feels like, and not have anyone touch him. No, you're gonna have to shoot him. Just don't kill him." She turned toward Jake. "How close?"

"We're almost there. I'd say two floors up."

She nodded. "Then it's time to put up or shut up, Detectives." She pressed the button for floor ten, seconds before the lift got there. "I just hope we're not too late."

Ding.

* * *

He didn't even check his navigator until he'd been inside the building for five minutes. Once he did, his face steadily returned to its normal state as his mind regained its focus. "Lost my head back there… can't get angry until it's time." The arrow stopped pointing downward after a few floors from the top. He nodded and opened the door, his features set in a mask of resolve. "Okay… where are you?"

He opened the entrance to the floor and stepped out into the hallway, his tracker pointing him to the exact location of the next target. It soon led to a door, number 1006. The tom cut the navigator off at this point and aimed for the lights. His finger slid into the trigger guard and… his ears twitched at the chime of an elevator car arriving on his floor.

Part of his brain ignored it. It was just like everything else here, there'd be no one coming out of-

"Steven Longtail? This is Captain Felina Feral, Enforcers!"

His brain froze, face locked in an expression of shock. One thought rang clear in his mind now… he'd _heard the elevator_. His heart decided at that moment to try and ram its way out of his chest as time seemed to move as normal again. "S-so someone finally managed to get that thing open, huh?"

"Yeah, you're going home! There're some things you need to answer for, but at least you'll be out of here!"

Steven grimaced. "See, there's a problem with that, Captain. I don't want to go home!" His finger tightened on the trigger. "What's there waiting for me over there, huh?"

A pause, then the she-kat responded. "I don't think you understand. A lot of kats are dead because of you. I'm not asking, I'm _telling_ you to come with us! Now you can either make this easy, or make this hard, but we're bringing you in!"

The tom chuckled. "Oh, I do understand. I know what I've done, and I won't take it back for the world! Those bastards they…" He snarled again. "…They left me in here to die! Didn't even bother _looking_ for me afterward! How would you feel?"

"Scared and alone, and pissed as hell!" Felina pressed on. "But even I would take the chance at getting back to a normal life if it came to me! We're giving you that chance right now!"

Steven wanted to respond… but the words caught in his throat. Back home, to a normal life. Could it be possible? He shook his head. Jail time. He did kill those kats and steal those parts. Nothing would be normal for him ever again. "You make a good offer. A shame I'll have to decline. If you want me to go back, come and get me!" His finger twitched. A light fixture shattered as the bullet passed through it. Two more pulls, and the hallway turned ever-darker.

He shut his eyes and reached for the shadows beneath him.

A split second later, his ears were hit with what sounded like a cannon shot at close range. Steven stumbled backward into the light, firing blindly with his pistol. His back hit a wall, making his eyes snap open. Three of them, all coming at him full-bore. His next shot had better aim.

The big guy had to dive backward a heartbeat before Steven pulled the trigger, and the round buried itself into the wall down the hallway. Holes opened in the wall behind him as he made a break for the door he'd come in through, firing blind shots as he moved.

He heard shouts behind him, one of them yelling not to let him get away. Steven kicked the door open and ducked behind the wall to his right, pointing his gun out to fire more rounds. He heard the click of an empty magazine and decided that was more than enough for now. Downstairs he went like a bat out of hell, hoping his head start was enough.

* * *

"Shit!" Chance growled as he stood and headed for the corner, meeting up with Jake and Felina at the right-side wall just as bullets tore holes into the carpet, ceiling, and everything else but them. "He's gonna get away if we don't move!"

The shooting stopped for a moment. Felina glanced around, only to pull her head back as more shots fired into the hallway. "He's gonna reload sooner or later…" Click. "Go!"

They rushed the stairwell entrance, only to find him headed downstairs with a good ten second head start. The Enforcers double-timed it down the stairs, trying to catch up. "There's nowhere you can run," Felina bellowed over the sound of their boots. "You're only making this harder on yourself!"

Steven's response was more bullets fired in their direction, some of them bouncing off of the rails. Felina couldn't hide her flinch as she stopped just short of the hail of pistol rounds. "I've had just about enough of this guy…" She glanced toward Jake. "We need to cut him off before he gets to the ground floor!"

The wiry, chestnut-brown kat nodded. "Get outta here, next floor. I got an idea."

They left the stairwell at the eighth floor and headed toward the elevators. Jake pressed in the call button, but neither door opened. Chance stared at the numbers as they counted down. "Oh _come on_! The longer we wait here, the more of a lead he has on us!" He glanced toward Jake. "You sure this is a good idea?"

Jake grinned. "He'll never expect us to do it."

Ding. The elevator doors opened a minute later and they made their way in, Chance pressing the button for the ground level. Once the doors closed, Jake waited a bit before punching a dent in the panel next to the floor buttons. "Chance, if you'd be so kind?"

The big tom tore the thing off with a grunt, revealing a separate set of controls, including the emergency stop switch. "Thanks! Now then…" Jake knelt and pulled out his lock picking tools. "…Lemme see if my time record still holds from the Academy." He slid the pick inside and got to work. His tongue ran across his lips as he fiddled with the tumblers. Twenty seconds later, the switch moved just the way he wanted, and he turned.

The elevator jerked to a sudden halt.

Chance sighed. "Right, now we're dead in the water. So what's the plan? We gonna play twenty questions while he gets away?"

"Very funny, bud." Jake rolled his eyes and pointed to the emergency hatch. "Get that thing open. You'll see why this is gonna work soon enough." Before long, Chance cracked the thing and Jake pointed his weapon into the shaft. Without warning, he fired… and the elevator jolted.

Felina's eyes just about popped out of her head. "Oh hell, you're not gonna do _that_, are you?"

Jake's grin was crazier than Chance when he had these kinds of plans. "If we can't take the stairs and the elevator's too slow… we'll have to take the express route. Now hang onto something!" Jake grabbed the back rail and got as low as he could. "Once we drop, we're gonna have only a few seconds to get outta this damn thing before it crashes."

Chance grimaced as he secured himself. "You do know that other kats could be in here, right?"

Jake nodded. "They could. But they're not. Door would've opened a few times over by now, stopping on floors." He aimed for the secondary cable. "If this doesn't work… it was fun doing this with you guys." Before anyone else could get a word in, he fired again… and they were loose.

Felina's teeth creaked as she held on for dear life, the air rushing past her ears as they went into free fall from seven stories up. "Just for the record, be thankful I'm used to shit like this! Otherwise I'd have you _both_ in jail along with this whack job!" Her heart tried to climb its way out of her throat. "We'll hit the first floor in less than a minute, how are we gonna bail?"

Jake smirked. "Timing. Really, _really_ good timing."

Chance laughed. "And I thought you were the rational one!" He turned his head toward the doors. "I'm right with you, bud. This guy's ours!"

They tensed up, coils ready to release. The numbers on the elevator flew by with terrible speed. Jake's eyes narrowed. "On my mark…" Just between the second and first floors, Jake shouted. "…_Now!_"

Ding.

The elevator doors seemed to creak open at an almost lazy speed as the Enforcers bounded off the back wall, arms reaching for the safety of the lobby. What took only one or two seconds seemed like ten as Jake escaped the lift, with Chance close behind him and Felina the last one out. They could hear the screech of the metal as it twisted and bent, ramming into the bottom of the shaft with enough force to wreck the whole damn thing.

Time moved on.

They hit the ground rolling, stopping just before the far wall. Felina glanced back at the mess they made. "Well, that's one way to cut someone off at the pass." She stood, checking her HUD. "I want a gear check! Is everything running?"

Chance grunted as he stood. "All switches on, I'm good."

Jake brushed himself off. "I'm good. This stuff can take a beating if it has to." He checked his tracker. "He's on his way down now… What's the plan, Captain?"

She headed to the stairwell door. "Stack up on me. We're ending this once and for all. Chance, get his weapon. Jake, make sure he doesn't move."

The toms nodded. "Copy that."

Felina rolled her eyes. "You two are weird sometimes… I can't even believe saying the same thing at the same time like that is possible." She allowed herself a smile as she moved to the left of the doorway, pulled out her shotgun once she settled in. Felina felt a squeeze on her right shoulder and nodded, sliding her finger into the trigger guard. "Jake, give me a count. Keep it quiet."

The sure shot was just loud enough for the others to hear. "Counting it… five… four… three… two… one."

* * *

Steven didn't hear anything behind him. Something was wrong, but he didn't want to go back up. No, he had to keep moving, get a car, and get the hell out of here before they caught up. The tom saw the end of the stairwell and sighed with relief. Finally…

He grabbed onto the knob, twisted, and just about threw the door open.

Steven didn't even get a moment to take in his situation as he flew five feet back. He landed hard on the concrete, his head spinning and vision blurry. The racking of a shotgun's action made his ears twitch, even as disoriented as he was. He cried out in pain as a boot stomped on his left wrist, his gun kicked away a split second later.

By the time his vision cleared, Steven found himself staring down the barrels of a Glock and a shotgun. The she-kat hovering above him gave him an all-too-sweet smile. "No lawyer in the world is gonna save you now, but I'm gonna say it anyway."

Her smile vanished, replaced with a mask of iron-clad finality. "Steven Longtail, you are under arrest for multiple counts of first-degree murder and two counts of grand theft. You have the right to remain silent, and I fucking suggest you take it. I've had enough of you to last me a lifetime." She turned toward the slim tom with a nod. "Turn him over and cuff him. I'm ready to get the hell outta here."

Radio static crackled at them before an alarmed voice rang along the stairway walls. "Captain, Detectives! Do you read me? Dammit, answer me!"

Felina pressed in her ear piece, wirelessly connected to the radio on her vest. "We read you five by five. Perpetrator has been apprehended, we're securing him now. What's the situation, over?"

"Oh thank God we got you in time! Listen, you have to get back to the window as fast as possible! The dimensional breach is breaking down at an alarming rate, and we can't do anything to stop it! Could be a power failure, but that doesn't matter. By our estimation, you have thirty minutes to get back to the warehouse and come through!"

Felina growled, her teeth grinding. "Fuck! I knew this would happen!" She turned toward Jake, who finished rounding the guy up and had him standing. "Get us the fastest route to MASA and take as many shortcuts as you can. I don't care what we have to do, but we can't get ourselves stuck here!"

Chance was the first one out the doors, with the others sticking close to him. "It's the same wherever we go! Something always has to hit the fan, doesn't it?" He slammed the car door closed and buckled up while the other two got themselves situated. "The Commander better give us more than just our badges back for this!"

Felina nodded as she hit the starter button. "Count on it. But we gotta get back in one piece first!" She slammed her right foot down on the gas. Tires squealed as she tore away from the curb, sirens wailing. "Jake, gimme a heading!"

* * *

A thick plume of smoke trailed from the warehouse.

Sparks flew and fizzled from equipment as they tried to keep the door open for as long as possible. Lab coats toting fire extinguishers raced around in an attempt to mitigate the damage. The head scientist seemed to ignore it all though as he stared at the ever-diminishing rift between dimensions, the oily liquid shrinking toward the middle of the metal frame.

"Professor, we can't maintain it for much longer! It's too unstable!"

He yelled back, irritated with the obvious statement. "Keep it open for as long as you can! We will not lose anyone else to this experiment!" Besides, it would all be blown to hell anyway. They might as well end on a good note. The chance for that happening was degrading by the second, though. "Come on… please make it. I don't want to have three more unmarked graves on my—"

Another explosion. This one made the ground shake. "That was the main generator! Power's gone entirely, sir!"

He rose to his feet, his expression a mask of grim, utter heartbreak. "Then that's it. It's only a matter of time before…"

His sentence was cut off as the fluid barrier bended and flexed. His eyes widened as a dark-clothed tom, white with black markings, came through the frame and landed hard on the ramp. The barrier shrank. "My God," he whispered.

Detective Furlong came through first, leading with his shoulder as if he wanted to break down a door. The barrier shrank yet again. "_Come on, it's closing_!"

Detective Clawson was next, landing on the walkway after turning a full flip through the air. He ran back toward the portal and stuck his hand in. "Reach for it, Captain!" For a few seconds, he didn't move as the darkness closed around him. Then something jerked him forward.

He pulled, hard, and fished Felina from the other side.

The portal was gone with a wet, messy sucking sound. The metal hummed like a tuning fork for a few more seconds before going completely silent, the sound of the burning fires and sparking wires breaking through the thick silence.

Then the room burst out into cheers as the three Enforcers stood.

Felina didn't pay attention to any of it, though. She pressed in her wireless ear piece. "Dispatch, Dispatch, this is Captain Feral, badge 2258. I need an immediate airlift of one suspect at the following coordinates. I also need a demo team down here to handle a certain problem, and enough ordinance to level a building. I'll explain why on the way to the Tower."

* * *

_Two days later_

"I'll have to say, this was a total mess."

Felina, Chance, and Jake stood in front of Commander Feral's desk in full dress uniform, trench coats included, with solemn expressions all around. The imposing tom glared at them as he listed off the property damage. "An elevator, light fixtures on the tenth floor, broken front window, and a MASA warehouse. The last one I can understand, but all the rest?"

Chance and Jake wisely kept their mouths shut as Felina replied. "I take full responsibility for all actions that led to the arrest of a serial killer that no one else could _catch_, much less _see_. If you want to put the beat down on someone, I'm the one that's going to take it. If you're going to fine someone, It'll come from my paycheck."

She looked at the two toms on either side of her. "But these two had the instincts and the foresight to know what was going on before it got out of control. Therefore, I recommend they receive full reinstatement into the Enforcers, including the rank of third-tier Detective Sergeant and all the rights and privileges thereto." She glared back at him. "A raise of pay grade wouldn't hurt either. They did just save the city, sir."

He glared back, his eyes narrowing. Then he sighed, shoulders slumped and head heavy. "Since the situation called for all these actions you mentioned in your report, and since no lives were lost by some miracle, I don't see why I should fine any of you…" He made his way back behind his desk and swept his gaze toward Chance and Jake, giving them a grudging look of respect. "You had your chance, you took it, and you delivered. If this is what I get for letting you think for yourselves, maybe I should…" He shook his head. "…Take back everything I said in your apartment, Chance."

The big tom nodded. "That's all I wanted, an apology."

Ulysses huffed and leaned forward. "Captain, in light of the recent arrest, I hereby reinstate Detectives Furlong and Clawson to full active duty, effective immediately." He glanced toward Chance and Jake. "But remember, just because I'm letting you off now doesn't mean you get to do this all the time. Show some restraint."

Chance grimaced. "We always do, until the rules don't count anymore. When that happens, no guarantees."

Commander Feral nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. You're dismissed."

* * *

**Chapter 12 – **_**How to Catch a Shadow**_

Damn, man. What a way to go out!

But seriously, this is the first chapter in a long time I've actually finished. I mean let's face it, writing from me has gone seriously down lately. But don't you worry because we're just getting started. I'm going to write one chapter every two days, or at least attempt to, now that I've got my swag juice back. Make sure you keep to your inboxes, because it's gonna be a flood of fanfic madness, or I'm not the Slayer!

Anyways, the usual pleas for attention go here, as well as some shout outs. Big ups to ulyferal, once again, for taking a part of her life to read this crap and make it seem less like crap… although the first three sections she said were spot on. Another big shout-out to my reviewers, who stuck to Endgame and are still favoring it for some reason I can't quite fathom.

You guys are nuts. Don't you know there's a sequel out? Come on.

On that note, read. Review. Comment. Debate. Postulate. The SWAT Kat Nation marches on!

_This is your Slayer._


	13. Chapter 13

_And in other news, a bizarre turn of events for an apartment complex ends in the arrest of 24-year-old Steven Longtail, charged for the murder of three kats working for MASA on a project now deemed fully shut down. The Enforcers claimed this as a victory, being the first major bust since the disappearance of the SWAT Kats. However, some claim that this was only a lucky break, speculating that they are still woefully inadequate to deal with…_

Callie shut the TV off with an expression of distaste, her mouth turned down and brows over her eyes in a glower, willing the now blank screen to die in the most painful of ways. No matter how much she wanted to stick her hand through the screen and pull that reporter straight to her couch so she could tell him just what she thought of the goddamn pundits, she had to maintain composure.

They needed more victories, just like her. She hoped she could come up with them, especially this week.

It was Show Week, as her campaign manager titled it. For the entirety of seven straight days, they'd scheduled a series of rallies and public appearances to drum up support and voters for her fight against Mayor Manx and his corporate-backed machine.

She didn't find anything wrong with the companies of course. They drove business, kept the economy running, maintained competition. Her problem was when they thought they could buy a position of public service. What made it even worse was the fact that essentially, they _had_, and it was Manx's fault for their heavy-handed influence over how city hall ran things.

A knock on the door made her ears stand up. She knew who it was before she even moved from the couch. Before the kat could knock any further she was there at the door, opening it with a smile. "Hey, Snowy. What'd you get me?"

The redhead marched her way in with two bags that smelled of something tasty. "Breakfast! I figured I owed you for all the cooking you did over the past few days, so I bought some take-home." She headed for the kitchen, dropping the bags next to the sink with a huff. "Let me tell you, I had to wake up two hours earlier to make sure I was near the front of the line, so you better appreciate this." She made her way out of the kitchen, turned to head down the hall. "The one on the right's yours."

The flaxen-haired queen headed for the kitchen and reached into her bag to pull out a take-home box, a fork and knife, and a cup of coffee, which she poured down the sink and threw away without a second thought. "I'm already awake. I'll need some of that later, though."

Angela came back down the hall without her red sports jacket or her shoes, a micro skirt of the same color and the black silk blouse still clinging to her figure. "So, anything good on TV? You were watching the news when I left…"

Callie snorted. "I was, until something pissed me off. I wanted to punch the guy's lights out, but that would cost a lot of money just to try and reach through the TV."

Snowy laughed and headed for her own bag of goodies. "Everyone's got an opinion that they just can't keep to themselves." She sat right next to her running mate and opened up her tray to reveal a chocolate chip muffin, some sausage links, scrambled eggs with cheese, and hash browns. "This almost looks too good to eat!"

"Oh, so you prefer some restaurant's cooking over mine?" Callie feigned offense. "I'm shocked that you think so little of me after all I'm doing for you!"

"As if! You should be working for some five-star hotel as a head chef instead of running for mayor." Angie dug in, taking a few bites out of her meal before resuming the sentence. "I'm absolutely horrible at that stuff, but I felt like I had to do something to contribute."

Callie smiled. "Well thank you." She opened her own tray, which mirrored her friend's down to the letter. "I'm gonna go get some orange juice before I get started."

Angela blinked. "Orange juice?" She looked over the back of the couch as Callie headed for the kitchen. "Didn't you see the coffee I got you?"

The boss rolled her eyes as she fished out a highball glass from one of the cupboards. "The last thing I need is to be overcharged when I'm already awake. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the gesture, and it's not that I won't need any of it later. Just not now, okay?"

Angela shrugged. "Okay, but don't say I didn't try to help when you fall asleep in my car."

"Shut up and finish, you. We've got a long day ahead." Yeah, sure. A long day of being hunted, speaking in front of crowds Downtown, and trying not to lose the one backer that had faith in them. Callie shook her head. Maybe she _would_ be better as a head chef…

* * *

**Kanto the Slayer** presents

A _SWAT Kat_s Fanfiction

_**MegaKat**_** Shield**

* * *

Donovan's claws tapped on the table in front of him as the screen before him displayed the area in which the rally would take place, just in front of the Young corporate building Downtown. Recon teams had set up cameras the night before on every possible angle to make sure he got coverage of this event that the networks wouldn't deliver without some kind of spin.

He wasn't surprised her team set this up so quickly, nor was he impressed with the setup itself. It certainly was festive, like a coming-out party or something. But it didn't concern him in the least. What he was concerned about was the vast number of kats that poured in, hours before the thing even started.

Oh, she'd certainly gathered a following. With her acts as Deputy Mayor in an attempt to balance out the ill effects of Manx's tenure in office, she became a sort of hero to the citizens. Her appearance on the scene of the latest disaster meant that the situation was well-in-hand, and it served as a source of solidarity.

But to think it was this large… that so many kats were willing to get behind her…

He'd have to adjust the plan accordingly.

Sabotaging the event was out of the question at this point. It would go down without a hitch, for now. The gears in his mind turned as the possibilities expanded. He had to find out the next location, do something to dismantle it before they set everything up. The more times his team was successful, the more chances he had at breaking her stride.

Donovan's face spread in a smile that showed the ivory-white, razor-sharp set of knives he called teeth. If she wouldn't come to the negotiating table on her own power, he would force the issue.

A knock on the door of the conference room derailed his train of thought. His features fell and with a sigh, he responded. "Enter."

His security chief entered, whispered something into his right ear. The tiger in the black Armani suit took a moment to observe the scene before him before standing to face him. "Meet me in the briefing room in the next two hours."

The soldier saluted and marched his way out of the room.

Donovan took in a deep breath and turned toward the screen again, settling himself in the leather office chair once more. He needed to be here, first and foremost. It was a chance to mine valuable information from his opponent, more so than the surveillance attempts had been able to. The usual rally fare would be there, no doubt. Musicians, important business figures if she'd managed to pull any more without his notice, perhaps a word from her campaign manager.

But those didn't matter. The speeches from Briggs and Snowshoe were the meat of the event, and he wanted to sink his teeth into them as much as he could. They would say a lot about how the two of them worked, not only as a dynamic, but also as individuals.

And if he knew that… he'd know if it was possible to tear them apart, and how.

* * *

Callie took in a deep breath as the cars pulled into the parking lot, with herself and Snowy taking the lead while anyone else on her team that decided to show up followed behind. Most of them were here, besides Penny, who decided to stay home and watch from her TV. The tech-head also said she'd provide logistical support, but Callie had no idea how.

The thought slipped her mind as she tuned everything else out, eyes closed, twitching ears tamed to stillness. She'd seen hundreds of kats with signs that had her campaign slogan on it, some with just her name along with Angela's. Many of them said 'no more Manx'.

It made her spirits soar. It also scared the hell out of her.

Sure, she'd done well in her first press conference, when she started this whole ball rolling. But that was the press, and she was used to dealing with cameras and questions. Callie hated to admit it, but having Manx there bolstered her resolve as well, if only with her frustration at his policies ruining any chances the city had to be great.

But these… these were donators, volunteers, ordinary kats who were tired of the old way of doing things. Her team brought them here by the thousands, and they wanted to hear something that would motivate them, give them hope. She could feel their energy from her spot in the passenger's side of her best friend's car, and it terrified her.

"Hey, Callie-girl… everything okay?"

The blonde nodded. "I'm fine, Snowy." Wow. That came out calmer than she thought it would. "Just need to get into the zone."

Callie fell silent, her breathing almost imperceptible within two minutes. The mayor-candidate marshaled her thoughts, rounded them up and corralled them toward a specific part of her mind. Her anxieties, fears, assumptions, and just about everything else that would be a stumbling block were included. Once they were there, she shut them behind a triple-reinforced steel door, locked it, and threw away the key.

Sixty seconds later, her eyes opened again, her face an expression of genuine serenity.

Angela watched as Callie's slight trembling came to a halt, her face transformed from that subtle, yet present fear into a state of calm that reached even the redhead. "Y'know, you kinda make me wanna learn how to do that."

Callie shook her head, the corners of her mouth turned up into a smile that pressed into her eyes. "It's not as easy as I make it look, trust me." She sighed and turned toward her running mate. "When am I on?"

Angela pulled into a spot and set the ride in park before checking the itinerary. "You're last in line, so you get to deliver the big punch." She lowered the sheet for a moment, peering over at the keynote speaker, devoid of her pink-on-pink ensemble for once. This time it was a cornflower blue pant suit with the same white silk blouse and navy blue tie underneath, a comfortable pair of cream-colored pumps on her feet instead of her usual heels. "What's with the wardrobe change?"

A pause for a few moments as Callie ran a hand through her mane of golden hair. "I figured it would be nice to do something different. Besides, pink isn't the only color I look good in." It totally wasn't because Penny's question about why she wore pink all the time gave her the idea. Nope.

Snowy smiled. "Well, it looks great! They'll love you in that." She looked down at her own clothing, the same red and black ensemble she wore every day to work. "It almost makes this seem boring."

Callie chuckled as she opened her door. "Come on, let's do this thing."

She found herself fortunate enough to not have flashbulbs irritating her eyes as she stepped out of the car. No reporters hounded her as of yet because they had no idea she was here. Her campaign manager kept her arrival to the rally closed off on purpose, so she would get a chance to get herself ready for the first one.

It did her a world of good. She made her way toward the backstage area with a composure that would make anyone else about to do their first speech in front of thousands grind their teeth in envy.

Angela's speech came after the manager's, and Callie beamed as her friend got the crowd fired up. The enthusiasm that Snowy projected seeped into her bones, made her want to shout along with the audience outside. The last vestiges of her anxiety vanished as her running mate's speech wound down. Good girl. She'd never been prouder of anyone than she was of Snowy.

The redhead returned, her hands shaking and her grin wavering between flushed excitement and utter fear. "I n-never wanna do that ever again, b-but I have to, don't I."

Callie nodded and pulled Angela into a hug. "I'm so glad I dragged you into this."

"Yeah… you really do have to teach me how to do that calm-down thing." Snowy pulled away, no longer quivering. "You're up soon. You got your speech ready?"

"I didn't write one."

The silence between them stretched as the crowd cheered at the fundraising numbers. After five seconds, Snowy managed to close her mouth, brows creasing into a frown. "You… didn't prepare a speech for one of the most important moments in our campaign."

Callie nodded. "No, I didn't." She ran a hand through her hair. "Oh come on, don't look like that. I don't need one."

Angela stomped her right foot so hard, the heel of her shoe almost broke off. "Like _hell_ you don't!" she hissed. "You used to write speeches for Mayor Manx when you were Deputy Mayor, right? Speeches are supposed to be your thing, so why didn't you write one?" Her eyes widened. "Don't tell me you're gonna wing it, please…"

The smile on the candidate's face gave away her intentions. "Just watch, Snowy. Just watch."

Angela smacked her right hand over her eyes with a groan. "I don't even _want_ to!" She cringed when they called for Callie to come to the stage. "We are so dead…"

* * *

The basement was organized chaos.

Wires spider-webbed from the ceiling and floor, snaked around the room to burrow themselves in their server homes. A supple leather couch, big enough to seat three, sat at the far end of the carpeted space, right next to the stairs that led up to civilization. Candles cast it all in a soft orange light, the lavender scent filling the air with life and energy.

A television was on the north side, adjacent to the couch. Big screen, high-definition, currently displaying the rally Downtown. A cabinet with a pair of glass doors sat just underneath the wall-mounted monster, filled with an entertainment system. A pair of tower speakers flanked it on either side, blared the sound of the live broadcast. Atop the cabinet, a game system covered with kat skulls done up in cartoon fashion sat quietly, waiting for its master to bring it to life.

To the east, the bathroom door sat closed, a poster of a gothic metal band pinned to its off-white surface. To the right of this entrance was an eight-by-five oak table, polished to sheen. Several of the room's candles rested here, along with all manner of crystals, gemstones, and a black sheet of paper with a pentagram drawn on it in white. Flowing runes surrounded the circle that kept the star in check, the language forgotten to all but a select few.

The server farm loomed to the northwest, sitting near the corner. Consisting of three 23-inch racks with gorilla glass doors and filled to the brim with heavily-modified computers, it'd taken a good chunk of the owner's life to build. Said owner sat at what one would consider a command center instead of just a set of black, slim screen monitors. Her eyes skimmed from one screen to the next, keeping track of the news feeds, blogs, and just about everything else covering what was going on, her ears twitching now and then at what she'd heard on the television.

She had a sly smile on her features as she observed the utter chaos. "I love my job," the she-kat purred as she pulled up the campaign web site. Her smile widened as she looked at the hits. She leaned back in her leather swivel chair, her hands behind her neck and right leg crossed over the left. The sound of a guitar screeched through the headphones over her ears, making them burn just the way she liked it.

A soft beep cut into the noise, just enough to get her attention. One of her brows rose in suspicion. "I'm not supposed to hear _that_…" The beep sounded off again ten seconds later, and she leaned forward, her eyes scanning the screens again, right hand on the wireless mouse in case she needed to spring into action.

Her eyes widened at what she found on the bottom right screen. "Well… what do we have here?" She moused over and clicked on the signal monitor, a program that scanned for various wireless signals. Her eyes narrowed at one in particular. "That's not supposed to be there." She opened the details on it and frowned. "You are _definitely_ not supposed to be there at all. Let's see what you're about..."

Her fingers blurred across the keyboard, lines of code appearing on a dark console in the space of a breath. Twenty seconds later, she hit the enter button with a sharp finality and watched as the trace she'd put on the signal did its work.

Her eyes fixed themselves on the readout as the process went forward, and five minutes later, she had her answer. "Well, looks like someone's getting free cable. Hell of a setup, too… question is, who?"

Penny decided to find out.

The Goth-kitten began to chase down each point of the signal relay, all six of them, and figured it was only a matter of time before she found where the source was coming from. "Well, whoever's watching this commercial-free is clever." Six cameras, placed for maximum coverage of the area. The others probably didn't even see them right now. "But we can't have people viewing this event without paying, now can we?"

Penny threaded her lace-adorned fingers together and stretched her arms in front of her until her elbows popped, a twinkle in her brown eyes. "Let's get to work."

* * *

The crowd exploded as Calico Briggs, clad in light blue and soft white, stepped onto the stage from the right-side stairs. She gave the kats a regal wave as she made her way toward the podium, her golden hair gleaming in the sunlight. She reached the microphone as the music died down, with the crowd still cheering, some chanting her name.

The chant spread over the next ten seconds until the whole crowd was shouting, "_Mayor Briggs_! _Mayor Briggs_!"

She gave them a beatific smile and waited for them to calm down. It took a good three minutes, but her patience paid off. Callie waited a few seconds before taking in a breath of fresh air. "Not yet. But I assure you by the end of this, that title _will_ hold true."

The crowd went nuts. Signs bobbed up and down, eager for her to see them. Hands waved and fists punched the air, as if she'd already won. The she-kat behind the microphone raised her right hand just slightly, and the noise seemed to settle.

"If nothing else," she continued, "I've made two thousand, five hundred new friends. And I thank each and every one of you for standing behind and beside me as I do my part to get this city back on track." Callie shook her head. "Now I'm sure I'm not the first to admit this, but the race for that leather chair near the top of City Hall will not be easy. As a matter of fact, some would call it impossible, a political suicide run."

The crowd booed and jeered at the very notion that she could lose. She kept going. "Mayor Manx has _never_ lost a single race during his ten terms. No one's been able to outspend, out speak, or outmaneuver him. And because of that, this city is in worse shape than _ever_!"

The cries of dissent rose, the signs calling for Manx to step down rising higher than others. Callie waited until the din softened to a level she could speak into the mic without shouting. "No matter how those runs turned out, they lost because of one simple fact." She paused for effect. "The whole process is rigged. They don't care about you, or me, or anyone else, just their bottom line! We're all stepping stones and rungs of the ladder to Manx and his little cronies at City Hall!"

The din of the kats before her rose to a fever pitch, a boiling rage. They chanted for the whole council to step down altogether… and she let them. Hell, she felt the same way. After a while, Callie seemed to look up to the sky for a moment, her next words placating the audience. "But I stand for something more."

Callie lowered her head to stare out over the crowd again. "Every time I look out the window of my apartment, I see this city as it _used_ to be, before the criminals had the upper hand, before the companies and big banks decided they'd _buy_ themselves a seat of power, before the actions of a single kat brought down everything MegaKat City stood for. We can _bring that back_!"

The cheers came back in full force.

Her green eyes lit up with a quiet fury as the crowd's energy seemed to make her come alive. "Mayor Manx's policies have just about destroyed the Enforcers, costing them valuable resources and personnel in the process. They are currently at forty percent less capacity than they were two years ago. That's unacceptable!" Callie shook her head. "His pandering to big businesses has driven kats away from neighborhood stores. It's causing the local economy to go haywire. More and more jobs are being lost every year. And that's not even considering what _other competitors_ in the financial sector are going through!"

The crowd began to get riled up again. She waited for them to calm down. "It's going to take a long time to reverse all the damage done by his ineffectual leadership, but I swear to everyone here, and everyone watching, that once I'm in that leather chair I'm going to wipe the slate clean. No more highway-robbery corporate practices! No more neglecting our law enforcement or ignoring our aging neighborhoods! I'm going to turn this city into what it can be, what it _should_ be!"

The crowd chanted her name again, and she grinned. "But I can't do this alone. I'm going to need the help of every kat here, and anyone that's watching this right now. I'm not asking for donations or volunteers, because that's already been done. I'm not even asking for support, because you're already giving it just by being here. What I'm asking everyone to do is stand against the injustice that's being done even as I speak. Come to the next rally we have planned, tell everyone you can about it!"

Callie raised her right hand again, trying to emphasize the point. "But more importantly, I want you to stand behind the ones trying to fight behind the scenes, like Mr. Young. There are good kats in higher places, and they're outnumbered and outgunned. Learn their names, find out what they stand for, and help them push forward! Because it's only together that we can dare to dream of something that no one else will!"

More cheers resounded as she gave her last thanks and retreated from the podium. She made her way down the stairs, headed backstage… and sighed, her eyes closed and head bowed. Some additional cheers made her look up, and her whole team minus Penny clapped for her with all smiles. Angela squeezed her right shoulder once she got close enough. "Okay, you were right. You _didn't_ need to write a speech. Just don't freak me out like that again!"

Callie chuckled. "No promises, Snowy."

* * *

Donovan's eyes narrowed as the speech rolled onward.

The situation just turned dangerous. This was her first real test as a candidate, he knew. Part of him hoped it would be unremarkable, nothing of note. Now, for the first time, his utter confidence in total victory… wavered.

Whether she knew it or not, Briggs had total control over that crowd. A single gesture from her hand made their raucous, defiant chants cease. The confidence in her words, the conviction, roused them to action. Her tone rose and fell in waves, eyes animated with the same intolerance her audience radiated. She focused on the expanse of kats as if every single one of them lived a block or two away.

Soon, Donovan's claws unsheathed in an unconscious movement, paws gripping at the leather arm rests, razor-sharp nails punching through. Her eyes did not deviate toward the podium during the entirety of her discourse. Shit, she didn't even bring a written transcript with her! What kind of idiocy…

His eyes widened. No. It couldn't be.

The way she moved and spoke, her unflinching nature, said it all for him. She hadn't written one. She didn't _need_ one. He noticed, perhaps, the one thing that no other candidate him and his team had shut down in the past possessed. Maybe she didn't even realize she had it either, few did. The sheer force of her personality was more than enough.

Donovan snarled. She was young, intelligent, driven, idealistic, charismatic… dangerous. Very, _very_ dangerous.

Defeating her politically would not be enough. She would rally the people for a second run, another attack, more vicious than the first. No, Donovan had to go one step further. He wouldn't just defeat her in the elections… he would _destroy_ her. Make her wish she'd taken his offer, before grinding her face into the dirt with his boots.

If he failed… if Briggs took office, swept clean the halls of power, and then found him… she would bring down the hammer on him, in emphatic fashion. The naked fury in her eyes, the tone of her voice, said only four words to him despite the length of her speech.

_I am declaring war._

Everyone said that. Everyone had failed, time and time again. But what made the statement so potent this time… was that she had the potential to build, with more speed than he'd first anticipated, an army with which to wage it, and the money to fund it.

It was then, halfway through the speech, that the screen in the board room turned to static. Donovan growled, a bass note of agitation rising from his chest. The tiger roared in a voice borne of sheer malice. "_What the hell is going on here_?"

The door opened not two seconds later. One of the techs popped their head in, the skin beneath his coat pale. "Sir, the mobile team has been compromised! Someone's got wind of our signal relay and hijacked it!"

Donovan got to his feet so fast the back of his chair slammed into the meeting table. "Who is responsible?" He whirled on the tech. "Do you have a fix on the pirate signal?"

The young kat, barely in his early twenties, shook his head. "Still tracking, sir! Whoever this is, they're damn slippery! We'll get a lock on 'em as soon as we-"

"You don't have to go that far, you poor thing."

The room dropped into a dead silence as the static cleared, revealing a black haired, chocolate eyed she-kat with a brown coat and a thick strand of pink hair over her right eye. She wore a black cotton halter top, forearms covered in lace gloves with the fingers halfway cut. Donovan turned slowly, hands tightened into fists at his sides. "I assume," he queried in a dangerously low tone, "You are the one that hijacked our cameras?"

The she-kat grinned, steepled her fingers. "What gave it away, I wonder? Was it my flamboyant entrance, or the fact that I found out that you were getting the broadcast without any interruptions?"

Donovan's features went blank. "While I am impressed with the fact that you figured it out when no one else had, it's futile to taunt me. We'll find your signal within minutes. It'd be best if you left now before we ruined your considerably pathetic existence."

The hacker's brows knotted together into a frown, obvious distaste on her face. "I don't think you understand what you're up against, big guy. See, the kitten you're watching, she's my friend. And if there's one thing I don't let anyone do, it's hunt down and threaten my friends." Her eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. "I have a back door into your website. I could more than likely get a route into your data servers if I wanted to."

Donovan raised an eyebrow. "Then why haven't you?"

She shook her head. "This is just a courtesy call. It consists of a few major words." With a frightening speed that made the tech behind Donovan jump back, her face twisted into a snarl. "Give up. Go home. Leave the race and get the hell out of town. Because if you don't I will track you down and throw your location to the Enforcers, let _them_ chew you apart piece by piece before throwing you into the deepest, darkest hole they can find. And if you don't think I can do it… go ahead and keep fucking around."

The smile returned. "This is your only warning. I suggest you listen."

The screen returned to static.

"Tell me you found the signal."

The techie trembled, his tail and ears twitching. He looked outside, his face displaying the question for him. When he came back in, his expression fell even further. "We… we lost it."

Donovan's meaty right fist rammed onto the meeting table, splintering the oak, digging three inches in. "I am _surrounded_ by incompetent _fools_!" His breathing was harsh, labored, as if he'd run a marathon instead of sitting there in his lounge chair. Air hissed in and out of his nose as his blue eyes nearly turned red.

Then he remembered something. There was one thing he could do to balance this situation.

Donovan's grin returned, feral and full of mayhem. He turned, stormed past the tech as if he weren't there, and headed for the briefing room.

* * *

**Chapter 13 – **_**Show Week**_

And after a grueling struggle, we have yet another chapter fit for public consumption! Or at least, so says my beta. And whatever she says is good enough for me! So here, take it. But seriously, thank you guys for sticking with me thus far. Next time I'm going to get a few of the sub-plots continued, maybe start brewing up another case for the guys.

Had a bit of trouble with the speech. Hope it was good enough for you guys.

_This is your Slayer._


	14. Chapter 14

Applause met them as they made their way into the Eastside precinct, the faces of officers and detectives alike beaming with pride. Felina strode forward, intent on reaching her office while seeming unperturbed by all the praise, Chance and Jake trailing behind her wearing dark-tinted jeans and hiking boots. Chance sported a close-fitting, short sleeved black shirt with Callie's campaign slogan on it, while Jake settled for a brown tactical shirt.

The most notable and recent addition to their wardrobe were the Enforcer badges hanging from their necks on fine steel chains, a silver rank insignia of Detective Sergeant planted right in the middle of the gold shields.

Felina stopped in front of her office, turned to face the kats under her charge… and finally smiled.

"All right, settle down you alley kats! This is important."

The noise settled to a comfortable silence as Felina cleared her throat. "I'm sure you all have heard about the recent bust…" Cheers erupted again, but cut off when the Captain raised her hands for silence. "…But that's not why you guys are standing up, is it? It's not why I'm here in front of my door instead of behind it."

She peered toward Chance and Jake. "We have two old-new detectives joining our district." A smattering of laughter echoed around the desks. "They've been around the block a few times, so they're _more_ than qualified for senior positions. No complaints from any of you, understand?"

A few nods, but the rest were intent on the speech.

Felina folded her arms. "Good. With that, kittens and toms, I present to a whole lotta kats and introduce to anyone new, Detective Sergeants Chance Furlong and Jake Clawson!"

The cheers started up again as the two toms stepped forward, and seemed to multiply as they took their badges off and held them high for all to see. A chant went around for a speech, and they looked at each other for a moment. Jake nodded and retreated to Felina's right side, leaving Chance to put his shield back on and raise a hand for silence.

He let the silence hang for a while before a confident smirk crossed his features. Chance looked around, his eyes scanning every face. Many smiled back at him, a few adding nods to them. "I see a lot of old, familiar faces around here." He started to walk forward, putting a hand on a desk occasionally. "It's been two years since we were tossed in that scrap yard, but I can see that none of you forgot our ugly mugs!"

Laughter again, genuine and warm. "But since those two years, we've gotten our asses kicked. I'm not gonna lie, it's bad. I watched the news every day and was utterly pissed off at what I saw." The silence after was the dark anvil of a thundercloud, hanging just beneath the ceiling. "Mistakes were made. A lotta good kats lost their lives because of 'em. Those that were spared were because of a couple of kats in black that we don't even have to name, do we?"

Heads nodded, solemn and grave.

"But now they're gone." Chance stopped in the middle of the desks. "Think about that for a moment. We all saw the TurboKat go up there. We all saw what was on the side of that jet. And now it's space junk. We can't just hope to see 'em flying over our heads when we're taking fire, or to solve some problem we can't fix ourselves." Chance's brows settled over his eyes in a glower. "We are on. Our. Own."

He let the silence hang on for a while before he went on. "The public sees us as a waste of space, and City Hall sees us as a waste of resources. But that bust? That one where we brought in a kat that no one could see, hear, smell, or touch until it was too late? That _sent a message_."

The faces of kats began to brighten.

Chance's smirk returned. "_Everyone_ heard it. I'm talking the press, the people, the politicians, and the _assholes_ that wanna turn this city into their own personal playground." Nods began to circulate the room. "Now, a lot of changes are gonna be made around here now that we're back. None of 'em are gonna be easy to take. But when we're done, we'll send another message, and make this one loud and clear."

Sounds of confirmation and looks of determination spread around the room.

Chance punched his right fist high above his head. "The Enforcers… are _back_!"

The precinct exploded with cheers and applause. Felina beamed from where she stood. "Was he always this good at speeches?"

Jake chuckled. "I think he's been hanging around Miss Briggs for too long."

"Well drag him outta there before he gets so puffed up we'll need to pop him with a needle. I need to show you guys something in my office." She turned toward her door and slid her ID card through the reader. It unlocked with a beep and a click, and she made her way inside. "Get him in here, Detective Clawson. I'm sure he won't want to miss this."

* * *

**Kanto the Slayer** presents

A _SWAT Kats_ Fanfiction

_**MegaKat Shield**_

* * *

Chance glued his eyes to the TV in Felina's office, his attention rapt as the she-kat in blue and white stood at the podium, calling the kats before her to action. His ears turned toward the screen, taking in every word she said, every reaction from the audience. Her golden hair and coat glistened in the sunlight, green eyes animated with a fervor he'd never seen in her before.

"Enjoying the show, Chance?"

Chance glanced over to his right, where Jake sat, eyeing him with a knowing look. "You shouldn't stare so hard, you'll burn a hole in the screen." The slim tom smirked. "It can't be _that_ long since you two saw each other, right?"

"And just what're you trying to imply, huh?" The big tom turned back toward the screen with a huff and leaned forward a bit. "That suit looks amazing on her." Not like he knew anything about fashion, but he certainly liked how it fit on her. He sighed, eyes fixed on her for several lingering moments.

Jake didn't seem to notice the change in Chance's expression. "If you wanna change your image, that's not a bad way to do it." The slim tom tilted his head to the right. "She sure is making it seem like this isn't her first roundup."

Chance nodded before he leaned back into his seat. "She's had to do this before, the whole public speaking thing."

Felina shrugged. "Oh, of course she has. But it's _election season_. Now she's up there knowing full well that every word she says is going to be chewed apart, digested, and if she says the wrong thing, spit back out at her."

Chance leaned back in his chair. "Well apparently she hasn't gone wrong yet. Look at 'em, they can't get enough of her!"

Jake nodded. "I wish we'd have been there… but hey, we had business of our own. Besides, there's always the next stop on the tour, right?"

Chance grimaced. The job came first, it always did. "If we're lucky, Jake. If we're lucky." He stood and stretched. "Well, time to see what trouble we can get into with these badges." He started to head out of the Captain's office when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Felina smiled. "If you two need to go… tell me when. Hell, I'll come with you. I convinced her of all this as much as you guys did." She let go and took a few steps back. "Now, both of you get to work. No rest for the wicked, so no rest for us."

Chance turned back toward the door. "Copy that, Captain." He made his way toward the bullpen with Jake on his heels, and found the brass nameplate on his desk waiting for him as if he'd never left. The detective ran his fingers across the engraved lettering with a smile, moved around to the reclining leather chair, and closed his eyes as he took a seat. His ears twitched, adjusting once again to the rhythm of the station.

It wasn't hard.

Chance sighed as he reclined in the office chair. The job sucked. Bad guys got away, prosecutors lost their cases, kats died. He saw things that a lesser mind would collapse over on a daily basis. He should've stayed away, stayed at his apartment.

He couldn't.

Chance felt more at home here than at his new place, and he would never have admitted it until now, when he'd gotten everything he wanted back.

The job sucked… but someone had to do it. Might as well be the ones who were the best at it.

* * *

"Radio check, all teams state condition green or red."

Silence stretched over the comms for a few moments before the responses came in, all green. The kat in the command van with a headset over his ears nodded and looked over his right shoulder. A tom with a military buzz cut, wearing full battle dress and a tactical vest, stared at the screens with a mask of stone, any apprehension hidden behind his blank gaze.

The radio officer took his headset off and turned to face the security chief. "…Orders, sir?"

For a while, the tom said nothing. Then he looked down toward the techie. "Tell me something, soldier. How do you think this operation will proceed?" His expression held firm. "Be frank. You've seen their files."

The young kat blanched for a moment. "S-sir, I… I'm not very good at tactical assessment. That's your department, sir."

The chief nodded. "Speak your mind anyway."

The radio officer forced his heart rate to slow before he took in a breath. He looked to the right and just slightly upward for a few moments, and then turned his gaze back toward his commanding officer. "Depends, sir. If the traps fail or they get wise to them, both teams will have to make their way in. If either team gives any clue as to their presence, we have to scrub the mission. It'll be too messy."

"It'll be messy either way." The chief looked back at the screens. "If the traps work and manage to eliminate them, we'll have bodies to dispose of, a cover story to fabricate, and those will take resources. If they don't and we have to go in, there will be bodies to dispose of, a cover story to fabricate, and those will take resources. Depending on the outcome, the Enforcers will have physical evidence. We can't clean _that_ up."

The tech kat grimaced, his chest tightening. "So… the solution is not to fail."

"Exactly." The tom with the buzz cut waited a few moments, nodded. "Execute."

The radio kat put his headphones back on and gave the order. "All assets, you are cleared tactical. Radio silence in effect in five mikes, use extreme discretion."

The chief tapped him on his right shoulder and he looked over his shoulder again. With a few signals, he nodded and took off the headset, giving it to his CO.

The chief put the earphones on and began to speak. "This is Security Chief Rochford speaking. As of now, this is a Deniable Operation. I understand just about everything we've done has been that, but for this particular mission, I am putting it on full notice. Failure will result in me deleting your professional and personal records immediately. I want all three targets dead before any of you makes a single peep on this frequency. Acknowledge your understanding of this order."

Without hesitation, one of the team leaders responded. "You don't have to worry, boss. Either they're dead or we are."

Rochford nodded. "Then do your jobs." He gave the headset back and looked down at the tech kat. "Cut the comms." Before the officer could respond, the chief shook his head. "Now, soldier."

* * *

Two apartment buildings in the Eastside district sat quiet at that time of day, with only a few kats passing through the front entrances. Most were out of their homes or asleep, which made for just about the perfect means for anyone to come in without too much notice. Of course, in order to do that, one would have to enter in a manner that security did not expect.

So why not do it from up top?

The preparation was swift and silent, having been set up days in advance. Command was very thorough when they wanted to get rid of a nuisance, and these were very big ones. When they broke in, there would be no surprises, no alarms going off. That said, a pair of two-kat teams used small remote drones to open the windows, and then made their way down the brick walls with metal grappling claws hooked onto their wrists.

No one saw them go in. Active camouflage was a handy little tool when used properly. Really sucked for fast movement though, the jolts and bumps made it glitch out. Worse, a keen eye, thermal or infrared vision, or the slightest _sneeze_ would give one's position away.

But for stuff like this, it was an advantage, and a good tool for intimidation.

Both teams set to work, sabotaging the one thing they thought would kill their targets while making the deaths seem accidental. Let everyone blame it on negligent maintenance and poor inspection. A clipped gas line, a bad piece of wiring, whatever was necessary. It had to be one trap, because if they put anything else out of place, things would only break down from there.

Micro cameras were set up in each apartment, linked to the helmets of the operators in order for them to watch their grim work come to life… and to act as a signal when it failed or was caught onto. Once everything was in place, they closed their entry points, made their way out of the nearest exits, and situated themselves nearby, just in case. Chances could be high that they'd need to get physical.

Hours passed as they waited in the nearby hallways with no trace of their targets. It was just about evening when their motion trackers picked them up, and within minutes, they had visual confirmation. The assets just about stopped breathing as the first two, Captain Feral and Detective Clawson, made their way down the hallway… with their guns drawn.

Their hearts stopped for a good few seconds as the two Enforcers swept the area with the muzzles of their weapons, eyes alert for any sign of intrusion. How did the electronic jammers fail? They could break countermeasures far tougher than the ones in a simple apartment building, so why were there two highly-trained officers looking for signs of trouble?

Neither infiltrator reached for a weapon, even as the cops passed right by their position. One of them pulled as close to the wall as possible, Felina's tail missing one of his legs by two inches. The situation was FUBAR already, and their targets hadn't even entered the kill zone!

As they rounded the corner, the slim tom plucked an ear piece out from one of his pockets, fit it into his right ear, and pressed in the call button. After a few moments, he spoke into the mic under his breath. "Chance… we have a problem. Where are you?"

* * *

Chance made his way toward the entrance to his apartment, his mouth stretching into a yawn as he headed down the hallway. The detective thanked whatever watched over him that he didn't have night shifts yet, or incidents that happened just as he got back to the pad. It'd happen sooner or later, but today wasn't the case.

Then his phone rang.

He snarled as he checked the number, only to find that it was Jake. Chance fumbled with the wireless ear piece his partner got for him as a 'congratulations' present, pressed the call button, and stuck it in his right ear. "Detective Furlong."

"Chance… we have a problem. Where are you?"

Chance raised an eyebrow. "Almost home. Why, what's the deal?"

"Stop what you're doing right now and listen. Do _not_ go into your apartment. There's been a break-in at both our places, and the ones responsible could still be in the building."

The big tom's face twisted into a grimace as he pulled his pistol from the rig strapped to his right thigh. "You sure, buddy? I haven't seen anyone yet." His voice dropped to a mutter.

"Oh trust me, I'm sure. My phone buzzed me about it hours ago, so they had plenty of time to set something up. Keep your eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary."

Chance looked over his right shoulder and saw… nothing. His eyes narrowed. "Not like I don't trust you, but I still can't see shit."

"They must be using some kinda—Felina, _get down_!"

Chance heard gunfire on the other end of the line. "Jake! Jake, talk to me!"

Nothing but the sounds of a firefight for a few moments, and then Jake responded. "We're okay, but it looks like I was right! They're using some kinda cloaking tech for concealment! If you're not looking behind you, you better do it right goddamn now!"

The big tom would have responded, had he not felt something against the back of his head. "You really should listen to your partner, Detective. Now put the gun down."

Chance scoffed. "And why would I do that? If my guess is correct, you're not here to negotiate."

"No, we aren't. You do it our way though, we'll kill you clean. Maybe bury you in a decent spot. After all, this is just business."

The grin on Chance's face almost split his features in half. "I got a better idea… you want my gun, you take it from me." He moved within half a second, turning to the inside of the gun's firing line. The sound of the weapon going off made his ears hurt like hell, but not enough to jam his right knee into the sneaky bastard's guts, the satisfying sound of a harsh gasp giving him all the time he needed.

A flicker of movement just four feet away let him know his next target, and he wasted no time firing two shots at where he figured center mass was. The active camouflage winked out as the tom that was just about to shoot through his squad mate to get at him toppled to the carpet.

He'd live. These kats were well-equipped.

The one that just had the wind knocked out of him suddenly found himself on the ground as well with a good shove from the big tom. That was enough to take out his concealment as well, and soon Chance had a pistol pointed at his head, left boot on the chest plate to keep him pinned. "I wouldn't move if I were you two."

The first downed kat stood, as Chance expected him to, only to get a bullet to his right knee. He fell again, this time finding it harder to stand. "Next one's permanent. So like I said… don't move." He leveled his gun back at the guy he used as a foot rest. "Where's your boss?"

The tom chuckled. "Why the fuck would I tell _you_, pig? We're here for one reason and one only, so you might as well kill us both now."

"Is that right? Well…" Chance aimed at the kat's right shoulder and fired, causing him to hiss in agony. The left shoulder followed. "…you can't do it now. And it doesn't matter if you talk or not, I'm going to assume Donovan isn't gonna be too happy you didn't axe Jake and me. Bet you were going after Felina as well, since she's conveniently over there with him. So you got two options."

Chance knelt, his eyes narrowed to murderous slits. "Go back and report your failure, only to die… or talk to me right now, and stay alive. You're all going to go to jail for a very, very long time, but it's better than what he's offering."

The kat grimaced. "I'll take the third option, thanks." He reached for something in his right pocket… only to find Chance's boot right in his face. It was the last thing he saw before his world turned black. He looked over at the other tom just in time to see what his guy was reaching for… a detonation trigger.

"Shi—"

Chance hit the floor just as the explosion went off, but what happened next was something he didn't expect. The kat turned into meaty chunks, flesh and bone flying like gruesome shrapnel. A piece of the poor bastard missed Chance's forehead by a few inches as the rest of him splattered onto the walls, painting them a macabre shade of red.

Once the ringing in his ears stopped, the detective stood and looked up at the damage done. He covered his mouth to try and stifle the bile that rose in his throat, managed to keep it down, and turned away to get back on the phone. "Jake… you guys okay?"

"Yeah, we're good. I trust from that noise I just heard, something went wrong on your end though."

Chance paused for a moment, waiting until he turned the corner before replying. "One of mine turned himself into chunky meat sauce. These guys were pretty determined to take us out in one shot." So much so that they resorted to rigging themselves with micro-charges as a last resort. "You got both of yours though, right?"

"Cuffed and ready for delivery. They keep on saying they won't talk for shit though."

Chance grimaced. "They better. Otherwise this'll just look like a random attack."

"Yeah, well Felina's calling in units to both buildings. You better not move until they get there."

The call ended, and Chance headed back toward the grisly scene. One alive, one dead, both tried to take him with them. This just got very personal, and if they wouldn't talk, he'd damn well _make_ them.

The detective pulled his phone out again and dialed a certain number. It took a few tries, but the call got through… and he sighed in relief as a voice he'd only been hearing through a television for the past few weeks graced his ears. It was a shame he had such bad news to deliver.

"Callie… it's Chance. There's been a problem…"

* * *

**Chapter 14 – **_**Validated**_

Phew… the things one can do when their internet is down.

Anyways, that's that for this chapter. Lemme tell you it's been a long time coming, but it's worth it. Of course, due to the lack of reviews on the last chapter, I don't know how I'm doing. But of course, I've already decided that this story is going to go onward, regardless of how many comment about it. Still, it'd be great if I heard from the people that read this stuff.

That's assuming that anyone reads these at all…

If you have reached this point, once again, thank you. People taking note of this stuff is the best thing an author like me could ask for. See you guys again!

_This is your Slayer._


	15. Chapter 15

"Oh, God…"

The blond she-kat blanched, her expression stricken with horror, eyes wide and pupils shrunk to nearly the size of pin pricks, right hand gripping the sheets. Her heart tried its best to leap out of her open mouth as her brain took its time trying to register what just went into her ears. For a few moments, she stared at the far wall of the room, shocked gaze penetrating through whatever was in its way. "C-Chance… don't tell me they…"

"No, I'm all right. So are Jake and Felina. They damn near did the job on me though."

She ran a hand through her frazzled hair in an attempt to relieve some of the stress. "How'd they get past security? I thought Jake put a better monitoring system in everyone's apartments!" The would-be mayor tried to keep her voice down, a feat that increased in difficulty with every passing second.

A scoff on the other end. "He did, and they didn't. Don't know how, but they tried to cut the power to the alarms without touching anything else. Jake thinks it's some kinda long-range ECM. Backup signal activated at that point."

Good to know how these things worked. Callie sighed, the weight released from her shoulders. "Those fuckers." Her voice came out as a growl. "What do you need from me?"

Chance chuckled. "What I need is for you to_ get back to sleep_. We'll take care of things on our end. We at least have three of 'em alive. Still putting 'em through background checks, but nothing's turning up."

Callie shook her head. "Don't bother. Given the nature of the attack, their records won't _exist_ since they didn't do the job. Search them for physical ID. Tags, cards, wallets, anything and everything."

"Already did that, got what we were looking for. But if you say we stop the check, we'll get right to the good part. They say they won't talk…"

The mayor-candidate smirked. "…But they always talk." She glanced toward Angela's bed, only to find her running mate still sleeping. "I might not have the authority to make this official yet, but I suggest you use any means at your disposal to get them to divulge any information you can about who ordered this."

"That's a very, very dangerous thing to suggest. When you say any means…"

Callie nodded. "I mean _any_ means. I'll deal with the Commander if it comes down to it. You two just get them to sing."

"You can still do that?"

Another nod, though she knew he couldn't see her. "I still have friends in City Hall that could convince him to let this go just once. Then again I'm sure I won't have to go over his head, since when he hears about the attack on his two new detectives, he'll probably be the one doing the interrogating."

"You act like I'll _let_ him. If anyone's gonna make them squeal it's me." A beat passed. "Now go to sleep, Miss Mayor."

Callie sighed again. "You're still so sure I'll win."

"I am… because you will, and you have to."

The line went silent.

Callie ended the call, put the phone face-down on the nightstand, and looked toward Angela's bed again. "How much of that did you hear?"

"Most of it." The redhead sat up and turned toward her. "How did you know I was awake?"

"Because I know how you sleep. Too quiet." Callie raised from the bed, clicked on the wall-mounted lamp, and made her way toward the bathroom, the hem of her silvery nightgown flowing behind her. "Call an emergency meeting, this room, in the next ten minutes. I want everyone up here."

Angela's eyes widened. "Everyone?"

Callie glanced over her right shoulder. "_Everyone_. Donovan just fucked up bad, Snowy. I'm going to make him regret it." She turned her gaze back toward the door, her face a mask of cold fury.

* * *

**Kanto the Slayer** presents

A _SWAT Kats_ Fanfiction

_**MegaKat Shield**_

* * *

The room stood in shocked silence for several moments after she'd broken the news. Callie had her back turned toward them, clad in one of her more modest nightgowns, her hands clenched into fists and tail curled. "This attack was meant for us."

No one was able to respond.

Callie ground her teeth, eyes narrowed as she burned a hole through the wall with her glare. "And even if it wasn't… those three are important to me." She turned toward her team, making her best attempt not to direct her fury toward her friends. "We are going to decimate him for ordering this, and by extension, Manx for tolerating this."

Nods circled around the room. Penny came through over the room's TV via telepresence, a grimace marring her features. She crammed her right fist into an open left hand. "Tell me who I need to hack."

Callie nodded. "Glad you spoke first. I want you to find them."

"And ruin them?"

The blonde shook her head. "No, just find them. Without being detected. I want to know what they're doing before they do it. If they want to play dirty pool, we'll do that." She turned toward her financial manager. "How much do we have for ads?"

The silver-haired tom smirked. "More than enough."

Another nod. "We're going to go offensive. I'm going to air out every piece of dirty laundry Manx has in his closet, personal, professional, whatever. I've got more than enough evidence to make this whole city want him exiled." She glanced toward the rest of her group. "I want the rest of you to go into full-on battle mode. Knock on every door, dial up every phone, rally everyone you've got and recruit twice that number. We are _not_ letting this pass."

Angela grinned. "Whoa, boss… I've never _seen_ you like this before."

Callie chuckled. It wasn't a pleasant sound. "I've never been this pissed." She lifted her head, an almost imperious gesture. "You have five minutes to get dressed, get coffee, and get to work. This war starts _before_ today's rally."

They dispersed to their rooms within seconds, and Callie headed toward the bathroom again. She turned on the lights, closed the door… and slumped against the entrance. They'd almost killed him. He was close enough to make the attempt. If he were any closer, the blast radius would have easily done irrevocable damage.

She'd been around more than enough explosives to do the math.

Callie's heart tightened in her chest at the concept. With a shudder, she came to the realization that staying away from Chance Furlong any longer was not an option. He'd be bouncing around in her skull for the whole tour, the thought of him a pinball with a mind of its own and a grudge to boot.

After today was over… she would see him. She'd drive for five hours halfway across town, knock on his door, and hold onto him as if he'd slip through her arms at a moment's notice.

A knock on the door made her ears twitch. "You okay in there, Callie-girl?"

She sighed. No time for this now. "Yeah, I'm okay Snowy. You dressed?"

"Just waiting for you."

Of course. "I'll be out in a few minutes." Callie gathered herself, got to her feet, and took to the task of getting ready for work. She couldn't look like a royal mess when she presented herself later in the morning, no matter how much of a disaster zone her mind was.

* * *

Penny's fists tightened until her knuckles cracked beneath the lace gloves. "I warned you, you bastard," she muttered as she stalked downstairs, clad in a black silk chemise and a pair of deep purple shin-length pajama bottoms. "You're lucky she didn't just tell me to wipe your hard drives." A sly smile spread across her features. "Then again, she didn't say I couldn't fuck anyone else over…"

She tapped in a six-digit code on a nearby touchpad as she reached the basement door, turned the knob as the happy beep of acceptance chirped. A laptop computer sat idle at a desk just near the entertainment center, and she tapped the enter key just as she sat. "Time to wake up, Steve!"

Her laptop chimed as the login screen appeared before her, and with a few clicks on her keyboard, she was online.

Penny's server farm, located in her father's basement, hummed to life, the command center and all its monitors fully operational. Soon, windows opened, waiting for the command of their mistress. Not but five seconds later, code began to fly across each of the open consoles, each attempting to access whatever entry point it could into her enemy's systems.

Penny's fingers flew across the keyboard, eyes staring through the screen, past the data, right at the tom she'd warned about this very thing. "I'm gonna kick your ass for this..."

A beep sounded from her speakers, making her grit her teeth. "You think that'll stop me?" Sixty seconds passed before she tore through the firewall in her way, only to meet six more. "Doesn't matter how long it takes… I'm getting in."

She took a sip from a can of Red Bull before going right back to her work, grinding her way through each defense. Fifteen minutes later, she clapped her hands and clenched her fists, a grin spreading across her face. "Gotcha! Now then… where are you?"

Another browser, one aside from her usual internet, shone before her in metallic greys and cold blues. The smile faded and Penny raised an eyebrow, her ears twitching as she leaned forward. "Come to think of it… _who_ are you?" A company logo she'd never seen before had its faint imprint along the background, surrounded by six others that she recognized.

"So they're a coalition…" Penny chuckled. "Buying city hall _and_ treachery. I'm gonna enjoy destroying this."

She began her search through the site, looking for anything tied to their finances. She found the mother lode not too long after she'd started. She leaned back sharply, part of her brain fortunate that the leather office chair she sat in had some give. "Aw, katnip… that's practically Fort Knox!" The second largest bank in the city, and they had most of their funds stored there. If they caught her, more than the Enforcers would be storming her house…

Penny cleared her throat. "Well then… I suppose this calls for more Red Bull." She stood from her seat and headed toward the basement door. "Like a few cases…"

Then, she stopped, her tail stiff and ears high.

She'd need more than just her to do this. It'd take days by herself, and they didn't have days. They had hours, minutes, seconds. Heartbeats. Her eyes squinted as she racked her brain. "Didn't Callie know someone…?" She turned back toward her computer and strode over, plopping down in her chair. She opened up her internet and typed in a certain name.

Several things came up, but one in which she was keenly interested.

"Detective… Jacob Clawson."

She grinned and opened the link. What she found there made her whistle. "She wasn't kidding about this guy…" She licked her lips for a moment. "SWAT-trained, too." Penny smiled. "How about we talk, Detective?"

* * *

The door to Interrogation 2 slammed closed, concealing a kat in black fatigues, his armor and weapons confiscated, hands cuffed behind his back. Chance's fists tightened until the knuckles cracked, a grimace on his features as he headed toward his desk. Jake's head lifted as the big tom exited the room, jogging after him. "What do we got?"

Chance growled. "They won't admit to shit, keep asking for their lawyers." He scoffed and planted himself in his leather chair. "Not like there's a goddamn thing any lawyer can do about this, they're either dead or in a triple-max for the rest of their lives. The only way they're getting out of this is if they make a deal and since they're not doing that…"

Jake nodded. "…They're willing to die for whoever they're working for." He sighed as he sat at his own position in the bullpen, right next to his partner's. "Add that to the fact that we have more or less an idea of who'd want the three of us dead, and I'd say they don't have to tell us anything."

"Yes, they do." Chance leaned forward, elbows propped on the desk. "We already know Donovan's behind this. We _need_ to know where the hell he is so we can drag his meaty ass down here by the tail and make him cough up who else is responsible for rigging the elections." He smirked. "That's after we beat him to within an inch of his life first, of course."

The clicking of boots from behind alerted them to her presence before her voice did. "Now, now boys," Felina said with a face that was half disappointment and half agreement. "We're not the mob, no matter how much we want to be. We find him, grill him, and throw him into the deepest hole we can find." She placed her right hand on Chance's desk, leaning down to meet his gaze. "Trust me… even I want a piece of this asshole. But if we don't do this right, we're no better."

Chance huffed. "Doesn't mean I don't wanna knock him unconscious. First, he goes after Callie, and when that doesn't work, he goes for the next best thing. Not like I mind him going after us, that's supposed to happen. But if he tries this same shit on her, I won't be held responsible for his injuries."

Felina chuckled. "You're forgetting that she won't take that crap anymore. She can handle her own business, so you just focus on the task at hand." She pushed away from Chance's desk and headed toward her office. "I'll see if I can't get any help from headquarters. You two keep at it for now."

Chance watched her leave, then turned toward Jake… who looked like he didn't even notice where he was. The big kat smirked and reached across to knock on Jake's desk, which snapped him out of his stupor. "You can't have that tail here, buddy."

Jake smirked. "Doesn't mean I can't look at it from time to time." He sighed again and leaned back in his seat. "So how are we supposed to nail this guy when no one's gonna tell us where he is? Short of putting a few fractures in their skulls, I don't think we have too many options."

Chance grimaced. "Much as I'd like to do that, they'll either die in prison or die when we send them back to Donovan. No sense in giving them a few bruises when they'll get a hell of a lot worse." He tightened his fists again. "I just wanna keep beating on them until it gets through their thick heads that you don't do that shit."

"That was the SWAT Kats' job. They're not around anymore." Just then, Jake's cell phone buzzed in the right pocket of his jeans. One of his brows quirked at the unlisted number before he pressed the answer button. "Detective Clawson."

"Detective, whatever you do, do not hang up, and do not try to trace this call."

Jake's other eyebrow shot upward at this. "Why would I try and trace you, unless you did something wrong?"

"It's not you. It's the guys that would pick up _your_ trace to try and find _me_."

The slim tom glanced over to Chance for a moment. "You uh… got a name?"

"None that you'd recall later. Suffice it to say that I have potential information that could blow the whole lid off the scam that is Mayor Manx's bid for City Hall… and at the same time, close your case." Before Jake could answer, the she-kat plowed onward. "If you don't trust me, put me on the line with Detective Furlong."

Jake shrugged, tossed the phone over to Chance. The big tom caught it with his right hand and put it up to his ear. "Furlong."

"Detective… ask me anything about Calico Briggs. Anything at all."

Chance glanced over to Jake, who simply nodded. "What's the catch?"

"No catch. Just ask."

He looked up and to the right, just slightly, before he posed his question. "What's her favorite snack?"

A chuckle from the other line. "You'd think you would ask something a bit harder… strawberries covered in milk chocolate. And her favorite flowers are irises."

Chance nodded. "Okay, so you know Callie… how?"

"Oh, I know everyone on her campaign staff. I could probably find out things that no one else can, but that's beside the point. The point is that there's more to this election than what you're seeing, and I have information that could lead to not one arrest, but several besides."

Chance peered toward Jake again, and the slim tom gave another nod. "Right." He ran a hand over the top of his head. "How are we gonna do this?"

"Definitely not over the phone. They probably have feelers out for me on the internet as well."

Chance and Jake's phones buzzed at the same time, causing the big tom to jump a bit. He pulled his own cell out of his right pocket and checked for messages, of which there was one new one. When he opened it, one of his brows rose. "What's this?"

"Coordinates for the last place where our mutual annoyances would ever think to look for us. Head there, and don't bother trying to find me. I'll see you long before you start trying to get a fix with your eyes."

The line went silent.

Chance sighed and ended the call, tossing Jake's phone back to him after doing so. "What do you think, buddy?"

Jake caught the phone, checked his messages and found the coordinates. "I think we need a map of the city. If this is our only lead, we follow it. As for our assailants, I'm sure they'll be nice and uncomfortable where they're headed." The slim tom looked up at his partner with a smirk of grim satisfaction. "There's only one place where those who try to kill a cop in cold blood are sent to, especially if they try to take out a Captain in the mix."

Chance stood from his desk, dragging his leather jacket from the back as he rose. "Then let's get this done. I'm tired of running in circles."

* * *

"When she said the last place they'd look… didn't expect it to be here."

Chance peered out at the abandoned warehouse in the city's West End from the passenger's side of the roadster, eyes narrowed at the condition of the building. Pieces of broken glass jutted out from the windows, gaping maws of glass ready to bite down on whatever kat was foolish enough to stick their arm through. The wood was still intact, though rotted in spots from years of neglect. One of the doors was ajar, but not enough to show what was inside.

Jake leaned over from his seat. "I don't like this, buddy. It's too quiet."

Chance's ears perked for a bit, swiveling like radar dishes. "You're right… And there's no one else here, at least it doesn't look that way." He checked the other parking spots only to find them empty. A conspicuous set of tire tracks was the only clue of anyone passing. "Looks like we either missed it…"

"…Or someone dropped whoever we're supposed to meet off." Jake cut the engine. "Well… I did say it was our only lead." He hopped out of the driver's side and made his way toward the entrance. "Even if it does smell like a trap."

Chance scoffed as he mimicked his partner's leap. "We've been in those before. If this is one, we'll get out just like we do every time." Still, he checked for the Glock .40 he'd brought with him before leaving the station. Satisfied it was still in the concealed shoulder rig beneath his jacket, he followed Jake toward the warehouse.

The door opened with a rickety squeak of hinges, only to reveal an interior as barren as the outside was desolate. Dust lined the floor, the concrete pillars holding the ceiling in place, and roundabout every wall in sight. Jake had to cover his mouth with a handkerchief when they unsettled the carpet of dirt. "Well shit… no wonder they picked this place. There isn't a damn thing in sight!"

Chance nodded. "Less cover to hide behind in case someone fires off a round. Either this really is a trap or…"

"…Or I trust you two enough to not need any cover at all."

Chance tensed up as the voice came from thin air and bounced off the walls. Still, he refrained from reaching for his weapon. "Well, there you are! Figured the place was a bit hollow for a secret meeting. So what's with the theatrics?" He glanced around. "If this place is so secure, there's no real need to hide."

"Exactly. That's why I'm hiding… because this place isn't secure yet. I need you guys to walk twenty meters forward and stop."

Jake and Chance turned toward each other with a dubious look. "Whatever you say, lady…" Chance faced forward and made his way toward the center of the room with Jake in tow. As he walked, he checked the corners of the room, hoping to catch sight of the mystery she-kat. Jake glanced behind the pillars as they moved… and saw nothing.

Then the air became completely still. Jake's ears twitched at the complete absence of sound. Even the wind from outside went dead. He stopped in his tracks, stock still. "Buddy…"

Chance nodded. "I know." He called out again. "This isn't funny. Show yourself before I start finding where you are the hard way."

"Relax." The voice came from right in front of them, ten feet away. "We're secure now." The air shimmered for just a moment before a brown coated she-kat in a black pant suit with red pin stripes appeared from nothing. A shock of pink hung over one of her eyes, in stark contrast to the rest of her black hair. A leather choker with steel spikes adorned her neck, while four silver chains with various pendants and insignias draped along her chest. She twirled a fifth chain in her right hand, the circles lazy and slow. A pair of polished, six inch black leather military boots completed the look.

"Nice getup," Jake said with a grin. "You headed to a costume party?"

"Every day," the she-kat quipped in response. "World's gonna end sooner or later, might as well be dressed for the biggest party on the planet."

Chance huffed. "That's awful fatalistic, isn't it?" He shook his head. "What's with the dead air?"

She raised an eyebrow. "And here I was ready to explain how I came from out of nowhere." She tossed the chain in her right hand toward the big kat, who caught it without looking away. "Go ahead, examine it. You'll find nothing technological about it at all."

Chance turned the silver chain over in his hands, checked the pentacle charm enclosed by a circle. He gave it to Jake, who looked at it himself. His eyes widened as he recognized what it was. "So this is the thing that made you disappear?"

She nodded. "I'm one of the few that know how to make something like that." She fingered the rest of her charms. "Each one of these does something different. You don't want to know the details." She pointed down at their feet. "This right here is making us the most isolated kats in the city."

Chance looked down… and things suddenly clicked.

They were standing in the midst of a giant nine-fold star, drawn with black paint. A circle with a ten-foot radius enclosed it, with the two of them standing just past the edge. Jake made his way further toward the center, and noticed a second star, a pentagram, in the center of the first, essentially creating a double magic circle. "You'd think we'd see something this big when we came in here!"

The she-kat smiled. "I put a lot of work into this one. Even with the pendant off, you wouldn't have seen me until you got past the barrier." She extended her right hand. "I'd like that back, by the way."

Jake handed her the necklace with a nod. "So you can do magic. How many more like you are there?"

Her face took on a solemn cast for a moment. "Very, very few. And it has to stay that way." She put her right hand on her hip. "And before you ask, this is not your Dark-Age garbage we're talking about. This is new school, refined. And it's my original work, no one can copy this seal of mine if they tried."

Chance folded his arms in front of him. "So we're completely concealed? Sight, sound, signal?"

"Yup. We don't exist."

The big tom seemed to relax once that reached his ears. His features softened, arms opened up and fell to his sides. "Well, there goes the whole trap theory. Not like I was worried about that." He looked down again. "This is goddamn impressive, but it's gotta be a lot of work to make, much less keep going. How long did you spend on this?"

The she-kat shrugged. "Been up since early this morning, drawing it and infusing it with my aura. Had to take a siesta for a few hours afterward before I called you two. But it was worth it."

Chance nodded. "I bet…" He wrung his hands together for a moment, brows curved upward and eyes still looking down at the floor. When he looked up after a few seconds, his features were full of concern. "Is she okay?"

The Goth-kat gave him a gentle smile, her eyes soft and head tilted to the right. "She's fine." The tender expression broke out into a grin. "And _pissed off_ about what happened. You should've seen her face when she called us all up at god-awful-in-the-morning." She gave another nod. "She's probably kickin' ass out there on her tour stop today as we speak."

Chance huffed and folded his arms again. "Well so much for being worried then. So now we get to the meat and bones of our conversation…" He leveled his gaze at her, features taking on a no-nonsense tone. "What you got?"

The Goth cleared her throat as she lifted her left hand, giving her fingers a wiggle. "I have…" She closed her hand into a fist, waited two seconds, and flicked her thumb and index finger up, holding a flash drive between them. "…This."

Jake reached for it, took it from her and turned it over in his hands. "And what's on it?"

"Banking information. Accounts, phone numbers, addresses, activity, the whole nine yards, all for one corporation. You can look at it now using your phone. I think you'll find some of the names on that pretty revealing…"

Jake hooked the mini-drive up to his phone and the info displayed itself within three seconds. He took a good look and whistled at what he found. "These guys are funding Manx's campaign big time. I see a lot of transfers to his account…" Jake grimaced. "…And several very, very familiar ones to a Donovan Hughes."

Chance grinned, and it was a feral, fanged, malicious thing. "I think we need to have a talk to this asshole that just funded an attempt at murder." He unfolded his arms, stretched out his right hand toward the Goth. "So you already know my name, but… we don't have yours."

She took the offered hand with her left and shook it. "Just call me Penny."

* * *

**Chapter 15 ****– **_**Headway**_

I have no words. None what so ever.

There's no excuse as to why this chapter took so long, other than it broke my brain for a bit and I had to set it aside and really chew on it. The magic circle part was especially challenging because I had to think of something complex enough to make the illusion and the cloaking spell actually legit, while keeping it simple enough for you guys to get. Hopefully I managed.

In any event! This has been edited, cleaned, and processed in just two days for your entertainment, after taking… hell I dunno how long, but it's here. Chew slowly and savor each bite, because I have no idea when the next one's coming.

_This is your Slayer._


	16. Chapter 16

The three kats headed outside the warehouse, Penny moving toward the empty space near Jake's roadster. Once she reached the parking spot, she reached out through the air as if to grab onto something… then gave a tug with her right hand.

Chance's eyes widened as a black four-door midsize sedan sat right in that spot, the four wheels in the exact position as the tire marks. "Well shit, you got all sorts of cool stuff, huh?"

A tarp appeared in her right hand after a few moments, covered with arcane writing in a language neither of them could ever hope to translate. "When you're someone that doesn't want to be found, you improvise." She moved toward the trunk, fished out a set of keys from her left pocket, unlocked it, and stuffed the tarp inside the cargo hold. "I'm gonna be heading back home after this, I need to run interference to make sure nothing goes wrong with the rally today."

Jake nodded. "We'll get a search warrant based on what you gave us and then head over to the company headquarters. Axim Investments, was it?" He checked his phone. "Yeah, that was it. There're two industrial firms too. We're kinda lucky Pumadyne isn't on here, otherwise there'd be hell to pay for everyone."

"Yeah… a real shit storm." Chance headed toward Penny. "Look… when you see Callie, tell her…" He tugged on his jacket. "Tell her I miss her."

Penny closed the trunk and turned toward the detective. "No."

Chance's right brow rose. "Uh… excuse me?"

She chuckled. "I'm not going to tell her you miss her. I'm not playing messenger. You tell her yourself, or not at all. Then again, you might not have to wait that long." She headed for the front door on the driver's side. "After what almost happened to you, don't be surprised if you get a visitor."

"She can't, she's got a tour to be on!"

Penny looked over her right shoulder. "And you think that's going to stop her from seeing you?" Penny opened the door without looking. "Just trust me on this. If you hear a knock on your door late one night, don't be surprised at who's behind it." The Goth kitten stepped into the car and closed the door, then turned the engine over. Before she pulled out, she let the window down and stuck her head out. "My phone number is on that flash drive as well. Don't call it unless it's an emergency!"

Jake gave another nod. "We'll be in touch, that's for sure. Take care, and give 'em hell!"

Penny grinned. "Always, detective." The window rose again and she pulled away.

Jake climbed back into his roadster, plugged his phone in, and started the engine. "Okay, you wanna take odds on how quickly they'll start scrambling to hide their shit when we come knocking?"

Chance smirked. "They won't have time. We're gonna ambush 'em." He sat back in his seat. "Let's roll."

* * *

**Kanto the Slayer** presents

A _SWAT Kats_ Fanfiction

_**MegaKat**_** Shield**

* * *

"You'd better know what you're doing, Furlong."

Chance smirked as he responded to Commander Feral over his cell phone. "Look… we got this guy cold. If we can storm in before he has the chance to hide any sensitive information, we should have a solid case against him. It'll be enough to nail this bastard that tried to kill us with his goons."

Feral grunted. "I know you're angry about that. Hell, so am I. But I can't just send in a whole squad of officers without some seriously incriminating evidence. Not even with a search warrant." He sighed. "You're going to have to look past your differences with me and accept the fact that for now, you're on your own. If worse comes to worst, flash those badges you just earned."

The big blond grimaced. "That'll tip him off big time!"

"I know. That's why I said _if_. But I trust you two can be discreet enough to get what we need without having to do that, right?"

Chance growled. Great, no backup… again. "Yes… _sir_."

Ulysses heaved another sigh. "I guess I earned that type of response… just bring me back solid proof and we'll bring him in. Take care of it, Detective."

The other end went dead, and Chance shoved the phone back into the inside breast pocket of his jacket. "Well shit… there goes ambushing him."

Jake chuckled. "Well what'd you expect? We're low on kats and he doesn't want to waste any for no reason. But fear not…" Jake reached for his phone docked on top of the dashboard, and tapped a few keys on his screen with one of his claws. "We don't even have to get inside."

Chance peered over at the app Jake was using. "You sure you can get past their security with this thing?"

The slim tom shrugged. "Only one way to find out… just gotta wait until we're within range of the building." He gave his partner a side glance. "How long we got until we get there?"

"I'd say… ten minutes, tops. What's the plan here?"

Jake turned to face forward as he stopped the roadster at a red light. "We can get within a few dozen meters of the building and still have a good shot at getting what we need. Just need a good line of sight, preferably from higher ground."

Chance nodded. "We stay on the street, in the car, and sooner or later someone's gonna ask what we're doing just parked there."

"Exactly." Jake grinned. "We don't even have to _announce_ our search. We just need to gain access to their records. Lucky for me I had this on my phone just in case I needed to crack into something. It helped me open Penny's flash drive, after all."

The light turned green, and Jake eased the roadster forward. Chance sat back in his seat again. "Well, all we need to do at this point is find a parking garage or nearby building that's close enough for it."

They came into view of Axim Investments, and a light on Jake's app turned green. "We're in range… now how far away can we be without breaking line of sight?" He hung a left just before the front of the building and drove until the light turned red. "Okay, this is as far as we get." Jake pulled into a parking garage and cut the engine.

Once they got out of the car, they marched back until the light turned green again and headed into a building nearby. Within fifteen minutes, they were on the roof and Jake headed over toward the edge. "Okay… moment of truth here."

Jake activated the routine with another tap of a claw, and a progress bar showed up. His eyes narrowed toward the skyscraper he tried to hack into, as if that would make the networks within surrender faster. He glanced down at the phone every so often, checking the state of the bar. Soon, it turned from green to yellow, and he grimaced. "Shit."

Chance raised an eyebrow and headed toward Jake. "That's not a good sound…"

Jake shook his head. "Firewall. Gonna try to breach it." He brought up another console and entered in some settings, then tried to get the bar to move. It flashed green, then yellow again, having moved a tiny tick. Jake tweaked his program again… and the yellow was gone again, with progress moving along. "Yes!" He looked up at the building. "How about that, you little—"

The phone buzzed harshly. Jake's head snapped back down and his pupils shrunk to the size of pin pricks. "Dammit, they're onto me!" The bar was red… and it was shrinking rapidly.

Chance growled. "You're gonna have to break through before they cut the connection!"

"Trying!" He brought up the console again, a single clawed finger blurring across the controls. The bar continued to shrink. "Come on, don't lose it…" He put the settings to the highest they could go.

The bar stopped… then after a few seconds, turned green and started to move back to the right, faster than usual. Jake sighed, his features relieved. "Okay… close call. Uplink established in two minutes."

Chance glanced toward the building. "They know where we are?"

Jake shook his head. "Unlikely. They're not gonna be able to track us before we find what we're looking for and get it." The phone let off a friendly chime, and the slim detective nodded. "We're in. Now then… what dirty little secrets are you hiding, Axim?"

What he found was confusing at best. "How'd Penny find all that in this junk? It's like they're trying to hide where the money's going." Jake stopped when he found what he wanted. "There, there it is. That's the one to Donovan…" He scrolled through the list. "…And there's two more. This guy runs a hell of a tab."

Jake closed the financial information and dug through the CEO's e-mails. He smirked. "Okay, several communications between Donovan and this guy, looks like status reports. The latest one says he's handling a kink in the system." He opened the attachment hooked onto the mail, and found files on the two of them, as well as Felina. "Yeah, this is it. I'm downloading all those e-mails, as well as the financial info now."

Chance nodded. "Looks like we're gonna get that backup after all." He grinned. "If anyone's gonna tell us where Donovan is, it's _this_ soft bastard…"

* * *

"Why do you have me in here?"

Chance sat back in his chair, looking at the manila file in his hands. He didn't respond to the question, just stared at it as if he were alone. Jake leaned against the wall closest to the door, his eyes fixed on the kat who they'd brought in, his features blank.

The tom smirked, arms folded in front of his chest. "Well then… if you're not going to answer my questions, then I want my attorney in here to—"

"You're not getting one, Mr. Axim." It was the first time Chance had spoken since the three of them entered the room. "Not for a bit anyways."

The kat's eyes widened. "That's a violation of my rights!"

The detective nodded. "You're right, it would be." Chance glanced up at him. "But you forfeited those when you tried to kill us."

Axim straightened his tie. "I… saw that on the news. You have my sympathy, but I have no idea what that has to do with—"

Chance tossed the folder across the table, and as it slid the last few inches, he folded his arms. "Look inside that."

The CEO looked down at the folder for a few moments as if it were a serpent about to strike, then opened it. His face twisted into a grimace as he observed the contents, looking over them twice before closing it again. "How did you get these without my notice?"

The answer came from near the door. "Funny thing about a search warrant… we don't have to tell you _shit_."

Axim nodded. "That may be true… but you are most certainly not going to connect me with the attempt to kill you. I didn't have my finger on the trigger."

Chance leaned forward. "But you damn sure didn't dissuade him, nor did you stop paying him after the fact. We got _all_ your records. That folder isn't even the half of it." He sat back in his chair again. "You got two choices here, and neither one's good. But one's the lesser of the two evils, I guarantee you that."

Axim looked upward for the first time in three minutes. "And what choices are those?"

Jake answered that one. "Talk, or don't. The first one gets you a reduced sentence, a chance to see your wife and three kittens again, and you get to keep your business… under _our_ watch." He grinned, and it was a malicious thing. "The second one of course… well, we'll make sure to reserve the penthouse cell block just for you. And you won't be leaving for a long, long time."

Chance folded his arms in front of his chest. "You want me to be honest? I _want_ you to hold your tongue." He glowered. "I have a very, _very_ personal vendetta with you. You're one of the reasons this city is going to Hell in a hand basket, and I want you to understand the consequences for fucking with us."

Axim chuckled. "And who would you replace me with? Some… incompetent fool who would mishandle peoples' money?"

"Incompetence is a hell of a lot better than greed. Besides… I hear this is a job you learn while doing." Chance's face brightened. "Then again, you won't be seeing your money ever again, because we froze your assets before we got you in here."

Axim's face paled. "You… you what?"

Chance hissed. "Ooh… hit a nerve. Sorry about that."

The tom, in his mid-forties, slightly obese with a white coat and pale blue eyes, put his breathing under control after two minutes. "You two… are evil. Truly, truly cruel." He took in a deep breath. "You… say I get to keep my business?"

Chance nodded. "_If_ you talk. And I want everything. If I even _smell_ you're lying or holding back, you lose." He leaned forward again, elbows on the table, head propped in his hands. "And if you're anything like me, you hate losing. Especially if it's something this big."

Axim took in another breath. "What do you want to know?"

Jake walked forward into the light of the room's only lamp and sat in a chair next to Chance. "For starters… Who is Donovan Hughes?"

The corporate kat paused for a few moments, and then began. "He's former CIA. High-level operative at one time. Donovan's an expert in infiltrating enemy governments, getting in touch with them, getting cozy, and then dismantling them from the inside out. He works through proxies and shadows, rarely gets involved himself, but he's an expert marksman and close-quarters fighter."

Chance sighed. "An assassin. We've dealt with one before."

Axim shook his head. "Not on this level. He has no obsessive tendencies, no mental deficiencies, no mercy, pity or remorse. He's not in it for the money or the glory, or even the pain it brings to others. He is given an order and follows it to the letter."

Jake shrugged. "Except when he failed to… handle… a kink in the system. Several of them at once, in fact."

The CEO glared at Jake. "I don't expect you to understand my motives. Suffice it to say that control of City Hall is crucial for business endeavors like mine to make sure the common kat is treated fairly."

Chance scoffed. "And that makes buying out City Hall right? That… justifies it somehow?" He shook his head. "You've ruined an election process that's supposed to be clean of this kinda shit. And you're sending this city into the pressure cooker because of it. You tell me what's fair about that."

Axim chuckled. "Well it happens all the time. Everyone tries to curry favor with the one that controls the money. If you control the Mayor, you control the city. Or at least, preserve your interests. Like I said, I don't expect you to understand."

"And I damn sure don't _want_ to!" Chance leaned forward again, giving the kat his best glare. He smiled as the CEO's bravado wilted under his iron gaze. "Where is he?"

"I don't know. Besides, there's nothing you can do if you—"

"_Bullshit_!" Chance rammed his right fist onto the table, making Axim jump. "Those e-mails had to come from somewhere, and you're the one that gets those reports. You're paying for him, you're giving him the directives, you know where he is! Tell me, or I'm sending you to the deepest, darkest pit I can find!"

Axim shuddered. "I… I don't…"

"Then you're useless." Chance shoved away from the table, forcing the chair to slide back with a creak, and stomped his way toward the door.

"What are you doing?"

Chance smirked. "Sending you to the Hell you made for yourself."

Axim tried to stand, but Jake forced him down in his chair via his left shoulder. "Wait!"

Chance stopped, his hand inches away from the door knob.

"I… I don't know the location, but I may have something better."

Chance turned an about-face, taking all of four seconds to do so. The cold glint in his eyes spoke more than his words. "…I'm listening."

* * *

Callie stepped down from the podium to the sound of ten thousand kats cheering her on as the ruins of the MegaKat and Eastside Bay Bridges loomed behind her. She only had half an hour before she placed memorial plaques on the Downtown end of each bridge, eventually welded there by metalworkers who volunteered to do the work free of charge.

Angela clapped as the golden-haired she-kat made her way down the stairs. "So did you not write anything for this either? Do you just pull these all out of your head whenever you feel like it?"

Callie shook her head. "I just say what I feel. You don't need to write a speech to make a point, Snowy." She loosened her tie as she headed back for her car. "Matter of fact, writing a speech out means you have to memorize it, then rehearse it, then recite it in front of advisors, then rehearse it again, and then hash it out to the crowd like a robot."

Angela's brows rose, her eyes a touch wider than they were before. "So you don't bother with transcripts at all, you just… hold a _conversation_ with all those people and expect them all to understand?"

The mayor-candidate's head bobbed once as she opened the driver's side door. "It's working, as you can see. Everyone's fed up with being used. I just… tap into that." She set her phone in the dock just in front of the shifter and turned the engine over. "All it takes is a bit of self-confidence to just come out and say what's on your mind."

They pulled out of the parking lot and made their way toward the Bay Bridge, the very sight of the broken skeleton with metal and masonry hanging from its bones a testament to what they were fighting for.

Two thousand, five hundred and fifty six kats died as the laser strikes from the MASA orbital station cut off the rest of the city from Downtown proper. Most were on their way out, evacuating from the sudden siege they had found themselves in the grip of. Others were trying to reach their loved ones despite the battle, fearful for their safety.

Dark Kat didn't care. In fact, she could almost imagine his smile as he decimated the overland points of access across the bay. He considered the theft of all those lives a necessary evil.

Callie branded it as just plain evil during her impassioned speech.

She'd made another pledge during the rally: if elected to the position of Mayor, she would work to restore both bridges to their original glory and resume transit between Eastside and Downtown in normal fashion. Cars packed onto the ferries each day to the point of insanity, and the train lines were absolute chaos.

Callie's eyes narrowed. Yet another concern that Manx refused to address. Was the little bastard scared of his own paperwork?

She shook her head as she neared the first of the ruined bridges. "This is… not how things are supposed to go."

Angela nodded. "We should be driving across this bridge to see your hunky detective, not putting a grave marker near the front end of it." Angela raised her hands, as if in defense. "Just saying, I know you moon over him when you're not being our warrior queen."

Callie chuckled. No real surprise Snowy knew that. "It can't happen either way, not right now."

Angela peered over toward the flaxen-haired feline. "But… it will happen, right?"

The silence from Callie hung in the air for a few moments. "None of your business." She pulled up just in front of the bridge and cut the engine. "Let's go."

The two of them got out and Callie opened up the trunk, revealing a bronze plaque with the date of the siege and a brief record of the events. There wasn't a poignant saying for what was lost. The damage was more than enough to tell the story.

Four kats in welding gear were there waiting for her, the masks already covering their faces, and she glanced back down at the headstone she was about to place. With a shudder, she strode forward before she could convince herself otherwise and put the plaque in its designated area. The welders secured the bronze in place for her and got to work in short order as she took a few steps back.

Callie's face took on a solemn cast as she observed the process. A squeeze on her right shoulder made her turn to look at Angela, who gave her a smile of understanding. The mayor-candidate turned back toward the welding, brows in a frown, mouth in a hard, determined line.

"Enough, let's go." The blonde turned back toward the car and marched toward the driver's side. Her ears twitched at a buzz from just inside, and as she opened the door, she noticed her phone's screen was active. Penny's number scrolled across the bottom, a portrait of her face in the center.

Callie climbed in and tapped the screen with the claw of her right index finger, and the car's speaker system activated. "Briggs."

"Switch your phone to streaming."

One of Callie's brows rose as she switched apps. "What's going on?"

"Just look at what I send you."

The stream went live and Callie took a moment to process what she saw. A news report, apparently of an arrest the Enforcers made earlier in the day. Ten seconds in, the cameras zoomed in, and Callie's eyes widened. Chance and Jake escorted a middle-aged kat, hands cuffed behind his back, into a cruiser. Before he got into the car, he glanced toward a camera and pointed toward the lens.

The stream froze.

Her whole world zeroed in on that one stilled image, green eyes shining as she stared back. Only Penny's voice brought her back. "You know who that is?"

Callie shook her head, partly to remind herself of reality. "Fill me in. Why are the Enforcers arresting him?"

"Suspicion of involvement with the assassination attempt."

So that was what they called it now. Callie sighed. "So who exactly is this kat we're talking about?"

The stream seemed to switch gears as a few other screens popped up. "Name's Montgomery Axim, CEO of Axim Investments, Inc. Monty's been doing a lotta bad business, mostly backing Mayor Manx to secure his winning streak. He's got a vested interest in City Hall, giving them 'suggestions' to let a few rules slide so his company can muscle out the competition."

A pause as another screen popped up, one that made Callie's eyes narrow into dangerous slits as Penny continued. "He's also been paying our good friend Donovan to sabotage the election process and provide security detail for Manx's rallies. No doubt he paid for this hit on your guys, too."

She sighed, lashes fluttering closed over her emerald eyes, the image of Chance pointing at the camera frozen in her mind. That gesture definitely wasn't for her. "So… it's starting. Chance is making an opening for us."

Angela shook her head. "I don't think that's the intention. I think this is just him getting payback. If it helps us, all the better, but they did kind of shoot at him."

"Either way," Penny replied over the phone, "This is a tactical opening. With any luck, Donovan's gonna focus his efforts on suppressing the Enforcers' attempts at finding him, leaving Axim hanging and his assets frozen. We're gonna pull ahead, big time."

Callie nodded, her eyes still closed. Even if this was striking back at those who tried to kill him, he'd just provided the means of getting even more support. Not to mention that the news video confirmed he was at a hundred percent.

Didn't mean she wouldn't see him. Just that the reason had changed.

She opened her eyes with a smile. "Thanks, Penny. Keep me updated." Callie ended the call and turned toward Angela. "Let's get this done, Snowy. I have a hunky detective I need to go see."

* * *

**Chapter 16 – **_**Retaliation**_

Okay, so that's it. Later than I promised or expected, but you have your chapter, packaged and ready to go. I'd just like to say that at this point, I have no idea when the next one's coming, but I know that all twenty of you following this will be more than happy to devour its contents wholesale, and for that I thank you.

Hopefully this one's tasty enough to satisfy you while I go eat turkey and pretend I enjoy time with my family.

But in all seriousness, I'll be taking a writing break (partly because I have no choice) during the Thanksgiving weekend, starting Wednesday. I can only hope they'll let me take my laptop with me so I can do some actual chapter work instead of sitting there being a lazybones. Y'know, as I've already been for the past few weeks.

_This is your Slayer._


	17. Chapter 17

Click.

The widescreen TV cut off as Chance put the remote down with a sigh. Okay. That should be more than enough of a message to this asshole that tried to kill him. The big kat stood, stretched his arms above his head, and padded his way to the master bedroom, a pair of house shoes on his feet and a combination of a close-fitting white t-shirt and a pair of dark-wash blue jeans covering everything else.

With all that happened, he hadn't been able to see Callie at her rally. Hell, he didn't even know where it was today, and Penny didn't offer any information. Just as well. If he knew where it was, he'd be more worried about her than stopping Donovan from doing any more damage, and he couldn't afford that.

Not yet, anyway.

Chance trudged his way into the bathroom, and moments later, the sound of running water echoed up and down the hallway. He was finished with his business not but three minutes later, and the lights cut off as he resumed his trek to bed. He was halfway there when the sound of the doorbell made his ears twitch.

He turned an about-face with a groan. Crap, he totally forgot he'd ordered pizza!

Chance scratched the back of his head as he carved a path toward the front door. Another ring and he shouted back, "Keep your shirt on!"

He unlatched the locks, turned the bolt, and opened the door.

The detective had a deep, longing regret for his last four words as his train of thought jumped the tracks, smashed into a nearby signal light, and died a tragic death.

Wide-set green eyes twinkled back at him, half-lidded and darkened by long, delicate lashes. A waterfall of liquid gold framed a heart-shaped face, and a pink nose twitched, no doubt picking up things he couldn't imagine. A pair of pink-glossed lips turned up in a pouty smile as she leaned against the right side of the door frame.

His eyes scanned down, catching the silken glint of a close-fitting, rose-pink camisole beneath a lavender cardigan with a hem just past the hips, buttons not included. A pair of slim-fitting jeans forced his attention to her legs, and his eyes stopped there for a bit.

God, they went on for days…

"Hey, up here."

He brought his attention back to her face, now sporting an all-too-knowing grin. "I love it when your eyes go all big like that."

Chance huffed. "What're you doing here at this hour?"

Callie stepped forward into his space, a hand on his chest. His heart squeezed at her touch, almost as if she'd stuck her fingers straight through and grabbed hold of it. "What do you think I'm here for?" She raised her left hand, revealing a plastic bag that smelled heavenly. "Besides the obvious, of course."

Chance blinked. "I already ordered pizza. Thought it was…"

"…Let it get here anyway." She ran her fingers along his shirt, and a tingle creeped its way along his spine. "We're going to be here a while, I think." Callie walked past and Chance stepped aside for her, breathing in the scent of her perfume and shampoo as she walked by… and something else underneath, something that was all her. Her tail brushed the inside of his right thigh, and he swore it got a bit too close before flicking away.

His brain decided to work at that point, thoughts scattered in a million different directions. She shouldn't be here. She should be at her hotel, resting for the next stop on her tour. But she smelled so fucking nice and those clothes fit her _just_ the way he wanted them to and probably felt as soft as her coat and she did all this on purpose—

"Close the door, Chance."

Okay brain, shut up. Chance shut the door, closed the bolt, and followed the lingering trail of her scent to the spot he used to occupy on the couch. She lay there, looking up at him with that pouty smile she wore earlier. "Before we go any further… congratulations."

He had to think about that for a moment before nodding. "Yeah… thanks. Wasn't all us, though." He walked around the couch and sat next to her. "The only reason we caught onto him was because of this one she-kat calling herself Penny."

Callie chuckled. "I figured she had something to do with this. She showed me the news earlier today." She glanced at him, brows angled upward with a trace of concern. "I had you on my mind all day, you know. Even through the speech." She sat up from her reclined position and leaned closer to him. "That was too close for my tastes, Chance."

He offered a cocksure smirk. "Wasn't close enough. I saw it coming."

"And if you hadn't?"

Chance scoffed. "Well I'm here, right?"

Callie leaned closer, still giving him bedroom eyes despite the worry lines. "Yes. You are. And you couldn't have been." She crawled over to him then, close enough for him to smell that mix of intoxication that beckoned him to lose his mind. "I came to a conclusion before the rally, Chance."

One of his brows rose, his eyes focused on hers as she got too close for comfort, and yet not goddamn close enough. "And what was that?"

His heart almost froze as she stopped, her lips two inches away from his. His whole world was pink, blue, and light purple, and her perfume and shampoo wove a web around him. "We can't do this."

Callie breathed onto his lips, "Why not?"

He swallowed around the lump in his throat. "You said it yourself. Our lives aren't ready for this. So why—"

"The conclusion I came to, is that I no longer give a damn." She inched closer until she was nose-to-nose with the well-built tom. "You'll be in my head whether I need you to be or not. Every thought I have, sooner or later, will be directed at you." Callie just about closed the distance, but halted a half-inch from actually touching his mouth with hers. Other, far softer parts of her did make contact though, and he could feel her heart pounding. "Since you drive me to distraction, whether I'm close to you or not, then what's about to happen makes perfect sense."

The doorbell chose that moment to ring, and the silence stretched for five painful seconds. Damn it! "That's the food."

Callie chuckled as she maintained the pin she had him in. "The rest of it, you mean." Her nose twitched at the smell of the pizza. "Oh well… I suppose what's about to happen can wait, can't it?" She slid her tongue against his lips. "But let's not have it wait too long… I still want to celebrate with you."

She crawled her way back, eyes still heavy with desire, piercing him with invisible darts. Chance managed to stare back for a few seconds, and then nodded. "Not too long."

* * *

**Kanto the Slayer** presents

A _SWAT Kats_ Fanfiction

_**MegaKat Shield**_

* * *

She really _was_ doing this on purpose.

Her eyes bored into him as she chewed just a bit too slowly on that mega sub sandwich, really taking her time with it. Every time her tongue slid out to lick her lips, it made his mind go to a certain place it didn't need to be. She sucked on the straw poking out of her soda cup and it made him lean forward just enough to take notice.

A very insistent part of him called for his attention, and he ignored it with his considerable will. Stay down, idiot.

Callie chuckled as she put her half of the sandwich down. "You know, you really should eat that. You don't want me to think I spent that money for nothing, do you?"

Chance's ears twitched as the notes of her voice bounced around in his head. He chuckled and started to dig into his still-warm food. "I think you cheated just a little bit on this. You could have gotten something a lot fancier with all that money you've got floating around, but you go to the sandwich shop around the corner." He shrugged. "Sure it's late, but I'm sure there are better places open on the way here."

Callie leaned forward, her elbows on the table. "Maybe it's because I know what you like."

The big tom took another bite out of his sandwich. "I'll give you that one." He put the food down and pushed it away. "So where was the rally today? I'd have come, but…"

She shrugged. "I know. We both have our duties." Callie sighed, a hand running through her hair. "We were at the bay today, to set up memorial plaques for the bridges. I told everyone I'd fix them if I was elected, and pretty much slammed Manx for not doing anything about it sooner."

Chance nodded. "Keep on doing that. The more people hear about the piss-poor job he's doing, the more they'll side with you." He leaned back in his seat at the dinner table. "A lot of officers in Eastside precinct are behind you. They're glad someone's stepping up to the problems we're having."

"Yeah, I figured so." She smiled. "I think I have the advantage of seeing what they've had to deal with, up close and personal. Even if they'll never know it was me behind that mask."

A chuckle rumbled from the big tom's chest. "Feral has no idea what we did for him, because he'll never know who the SWAT Kats really are. Part of the reason we blew the TurboKat to kingdom come and sold off all the plans for our swag. Helps to cover our tracks."

The she-kat tilted her head to the right, chin in her hands. "I never knew you were a schemer, Chance Furlong." Her eyes darkened as the lashes concealed them again, pupils wide and lips parted just enough. "It's sexy."

All at once, the insistent, nagging tent in his pants made itself known again. Chance cleared his throat and reached for his food again. "It's not all me, it's Jake too. We're partners—"

His hand stopped at a touch on his wrist, a shock traveling up his arm, through his shoulder, and apparently skipping his brain to travel somewhere further south. He'd have grimaced, if it weren't for the clouded, half-sleepy look in Callie's eyes. "—But you thought of it first. The plan to hide my identity, making me part of your team, getting all of my information back so I could actually start this crazy plan…"

She ran her fingers along his forearm, sending more sparks shooting along his nerves. "…I _love_ a tom that uses his head for more than just storage space."

Chance grinned, partly to conceal his struggle to keep from dragging her to bed by her tail and making her do more than just stare at him. "I'm surprised you're not into Jake, then. He's got brains for days, I just hit stuff."

Callie chuckled, her fingers still stroking. "This makes you all the more… interesting, though. All that strength… under the control of a focused, sharp mind."

Chance's tail curled as his senses picked up something stroking along his left leg, just below the knee. Dammit, she was really pushing it.

"But what if…" Callie sported the pouty smile again, and Chance's ears flicked at the low, sultry purr that made every word a caress. "…What if for a moment or two, that focus slipped? What would happen if all that strength was without any sort of restraint?"

Chance grimaced. "Kats get hurt. Hell, they'd _die_. I'd never lose control like that."

"Never?" Her eyes glinted with defiant challenge.

Yeah, that was it. He'd had enough. Chance grabbed Callie's wrist, squeezing just enough to warn her. His heart wanted to ram its way out of his chest just to get to her. It didn't help that Callie moaned at the brief show of force, a sound that made the constant reminder of how uncomfortable he was very, very happy. Chance's voice came out as a dangerous growl. "Never."

The blonde took in a shuddering breath, eyes closed and lips still parted. "I want to see it."

The silence between them hung thick in the air, the pounding bass of their hearts echoing along the walls, throbbing in his ears. Chance couldn't tell which heart was his anymore. It worried him, because it didn't worry him at all. She sent his thoughts into all sorts of directions, and made his heart swell to bursting.

The big tom had to suppress a shudder. They hadn't seen each other for weeks, promised to stay away until the danger was passed, but here she was, and she had just as much of an effect on him.

He cursed his own train of logic as it repaired itself and got back on the rails. She was right. They were both in the shit. They could both die, one for trying to protect this city, the other for trying to change it. He loved her for it, and hated the fact that she put herself in the crosshairs of everyone that had their eyes on that cushy chair at the top of City Hall.

He'd talked her into it. Helped her get this far. And now he hated himself for it.

"Chance?"

His eyes opened, for he'd closed them during his pity party. She looked at him with concern, her eyes still lidded. His heart almost melted right there. That small trace of uncertainty in her brows, the slight lines it made on her forehead, knocked the remaining resistance out of him. "You really wanna see?"

Callie's expression shifted into one of satisfaction… and longing. "Yes."

Chance stood then, her wrist still in his grasp, but with a softer touch. He kissed the back of her hand and watched her lips curl upward into a sultry smile. "Then the rest of the food can wait. After all, we still have to celebrate."

* * *

Why didn't he do this before?

The first time he was in her apartment, why didn't he just put his mouth onto hers and take her, just like this? Why hadn't he tried to stage an attack with his tongue, only for her to resist? It was more than a few weeks apart for him. It was a short-lived eternity from one day to the next, and that was a lot of time to make up.

So he took his time, his lips moving against hers, right hand stroking her tail, left hand threading its way through her hair. She responded with moans and purrs, her fingers running along his back even as her right thigh rubbed at him through his jeans.

Chance groaned as his pants became too tight, but persisted in trying to conquer her tongue. He fought for position, tried to take the lead, but she was elusive, evasive, parrying and countering. After a minute of this struggle, he didn't care. Her tongue dancing with his, teasing and tasting, made him forget about trying to win.

He just wanted to have her.

Callie gasped as they broke the kiss, her eyes still clouded. She grinned as she pushed him back, enough to reach into the right pocket of her jeans and pull out a pearlescent silk blindfold. "If you want me to wear this, I want you to take hold of me." Her right brow rose just a bit. "Do you know what that means?"

Chance chuckled. Yeah, he knew. "It's not gonna be so easy. You're gonna have to make me."

The she-kat smiled, reached a hand under his shirt, and hummed as she traced her hand along his coat, the muscles underneath twitching at every square inch she touched. "That's funny… I was just about to do that."

The next few moments put Chance off guard, as Callie hooked her right foot behind Chance's right ankle, pushed into him, and turned, all in the space of a second. His eyes widened as he found himself pinned against the wall, her right leg rubbing against him, teeth nibbling at his left ear.

Holy shit! How'd she get so fast?

The rest of him wasn't concerned with that. He'd lost the advantage, she was in control, and he had to respond. He tried to make a move, but she kissed him with enough force to make him dizzy, his heart skipping a beat. Callie pushed harder against him, and he groaned into her mouth. She moved back to take his shirt off, but a hand at the base of her tail, squeezing just enough to get her attention, made her stop with a squeak.

Chance grinned at the blush that lit Callie's cheeks. "Yeah… I know what you like, too."

Her eyes narrowed as she flexed her right hand, unsheathing her claws and grabbing onto the front of his shirt. The she-kat tore it free with two tugs and tossed it to the side before she leaned in again, pressing her body against his. "What makes you think I'll let you do it again?"

He tried to squeeze, but her tail slid out from his grasp, twined its way around his left leg. She rubbed her right thigh between his legs, pressed her lips to his nose in a quick peck. "If you want this to stop… all you have to do is tear my clothes off, throw me on the bed, and ravish me."

Damn it, that sounded good right now… but he wouldn't lose that easily. His voice came out as gravel and sandpaper. "And if I make you beg for it?" Because he so wanted that to happen, too.

She purred again, leaning toward his left ear. "Then I put the blindfold on… and you get to do whatever you want to me." She licked at the shell of that radar dish, making him shiver. "_Anything_ you want…"

He smirked as her gasp rang through his head. He managed to slide his right hand into her pants and squeeze her while she was trying to get him to rip into her. "Lemme get to work on that." Without another word, he kissed her, his left hand stroking her tail, fingers reveling in the feel of her. The right hand squeezed and fondled again, pressing her to him even as she squirmed and moaned.

The kiss ended after a few moments, his tongue brushing against her lips. She tried to chase it with hers, but he pulled away before she could catch him. He bit on the nape of her neck, careful not to hurt her too much while he tasted her skin with his lips. Callie nearly melted against him, and he chuckled as he teased and nibbled.

"Oh God, Chance…"

He pulled away, licked the mark he'd made, and smiled at the way she trembled. He nibbled again, making her gasp and moan, her tail uncoiling from his thigh, hips pressing into his. Okay. Time to take control. He turned until she was back against the wall and pulled back, just enough to create a bit of space. His left hand scratched behind her right ear, and a purr rose unbidden from her throat.

The purr turned into a gasp and her body rose to meet his right hand, now under her shirt. He rubbed, squeezed, fondled, and she stared at him with bared teeth and half-lidded eyes. "I… am not…" She hissed as his hand shifted, fingers pinched. "I am _not_ begging!"

Chance smiled, a glint in his eyes as a hand slid through her hair, down her back. "Give it time." He reached the base of her tail, wrapped his hand around it, and squeezed. He almost laughed as Callie's back curved in a gentle arch, pressing her even further into his hand. "I love these, you know… they're one of my favorite things about you."

She glared at him, her flushed cheeks and angry stare doing nothing but making him even harder. "I am going to enjoy making you squirm."

The big tom scoffed. "Yeah… but do you think I'll let you?" The hand under her shirt squeezed again, harder, and she cried out, her voice raw with emotion. "Besides, either way you slice it, we both win. I just get to make sure you can't do anything to return the favor when you give up."

Callie's eyes narrowed, her blond tail sliding between his legs and along his crotch. "_If_ I give up."

Chance's eyes narrowed and he leaned closer, the hand on her tail sliding around her hips. "You know me. When I start something, I aim to finish it, no matter what's in the way." He slid his hand down the front of her jeans … and her hips pitched forward, her expression a mixture of shock and unrestrained need.

Chance put his forehead against hers and licked his lips. "You are going to give up and put that blindfold on. Then I'm going to make you wish you gave up sooner." His eyes never left hers, even as she chewed on her bottom lip to keep from squealing at his antics. "I'm gonna do things to you that'll make your tail curl."

She grinned, her eyes smoldering. "You already are… so what's gonna be different about that?"

Chance smirked. "Give up." His fingers curled, and Callie just about turned into a puddle. "You'll find out if you do."

He chewed at her neck again, and she whimpered as the effect of his fingers started to take hold. All she had to do was give up, and he'd stop… only to keep going later. But that wasn't the point of this, was it? No, she had to want it, _need_ it. And she couldn't hold out forever.

He had to re-think that last assumption as his world blurred for a brief moment. Everything stopped dead, and his eyes widened at Callie's cheeky, satisfied grin. Then he shut his eyes and gritted his teeth, his tail coiling and hips moving on their own. Should've expected that…

Callie chuckled as she squeezed him through his jeans, the bulge in his pants now undeniable. "It looks like teasing isn't working." She stroked and rubbed, making him shiver. "I'll have to make a more… direct approach." Her fingers slid toward the waistline of his jeans, unbuttoned him without looking, and slid the zipper downward. "Touch me once, make a move to do anything, and I'll count that as game over." She licked her lips as she turned him around, his back to the bathroom door now.

Chance smirked. "Is this the point where I have one last chance to surrender?"

Callie pressed him to the door, kissed him before kneeling, her hands traveling down his broad chest and chiseled abs. "No. This is the part where you stop squirming and let me have my way. Or you lose." She pulled his jeans down until they were clear of his thighs, then slid her nose along the front of his shorts, taking in his scent even as she removed the last obstacle to her goal.

Chance clenched his fists as the first trace of her tongue made his breath catch in his throat. He couldn't complain. Oh no, this was fair game, they hadn't set rules besides one or the other had to surrender to their urges. Reaching for her hair to bury his fingers into that golden mane was an urge. So was forcing her to eat all of him, all the way.

His toes curled as she kissed and licked her way along his heated flesh, and a pang of regret flashed through him when she broke away. He looked down and met her smile and eyes, now the deepest shade of green he'd ever seen on a she-kat, only to watch her take him between her lips.

His mind zoned out, every thought silencing except the voice in his head that demanded he take her right now, that he pull her hair and make her look at him as he forced her to take it. He growled as her tongue teased him. She twisted her head, her lips tightening in a way that made him hiss. "Fuck…"

"Hmmmm?" She looked up, her eyes impish, brows arched high.

Chance stared down at her with his own version of that come-get-me look she shot at him all night. "Do your worst. You're gonna end up without those clothes on before we're done."

She pulled away again, her fingers wrapped tight around him, stroking to keep the fire burning. "That's the point. But the question is will I take them off myself…" She kissed the tip of his shaft. "…Or will you forcefully remove them from me?"

Before he could think of a snappy comeback, he growled as she traced a slick line from the base to the head, and then wrapped her lips around him. His eyes squeezed shut and his hands clenched into fists, but it wasn't the sensation, the press of her mouth and tongue on him that nearly made him lose his shit.

It was the noise.

The tips of his ears turned red from a blush as she slurped and sucked, hot, needy moans making comments in between her snack time. She varied her rhythm, agonizingly slow at one moment and desperately fast at the next. His claws dug into the flesh of his palms, and that kept him focused long enough to open his eyes and look down.

He grinned at the sight before him.

She was enjoying herself. The slurps and moans were genuine, her eyes half-lidded and unfocused, right hand toying with his sack while she ran her left hand along the inside of one of his thighs. She'd never looked as sexy as she did right now, fully clothed and sucking him off as if he was the best thing ever.

The spell broke when her clouded eyes met his. She pulled off of him, licked her lips, and smirked. "Enjoying the show?"

A squeeze to the base of his spear made him growl again. "You tell me. You're the one giving it."

She chuckled and took in his scent again, lashes fluttering closed over her eyes. "Tell you what… if you survive this, I'll give up." She took a breath in through her nose, and shivered from something he couldn't name. "I'm going to start now, and I'm not going to stop until you're finished. If you can go without forcing me the whole time, you win."

Chance raised one of his brows. "That's it?"

"That's it." She looked up at him. "Your scent's been driving me up a wall ever since I walked through the front door. The look on your face every time I touch you makes me want to _gush_. When you growl at me like you want to _eat_ me, I can almost feel my heart stop." She sighed. "I want you so bad right now… but I'm going to make you earn it."

She dipped her head down again, and Chance was lost to a whirlwind of sensation. His heart almost filled his chest as the slurps, sucks, and licks made him heavy. When she got to work, she _really_ got to work. His right fist rammed against the door as he tried to keep himself in check, even as she murmured around him.

Then something happened that nearly made his eyes pop out of his head.

A warm, wet tightness gripped him, forcing him to look down. All he could see was her blond hair, the telltale sounds of her throat giving him all the information he needed. "Shit! Callie… Holy shit!"

She ignored him, pulled back halfway, and slid forward again.

Chance bumped the back of his head against the bathroom door. When she said he had to survive, she wasn't kidding. Someone must've replaced his spine with a lightning rod, because his toes curled, his tail curled, the hairs of his coat stood on end from the sheer overload of his senses. "I can't take this!"

She ignored him, picked up the pace. Slurp, slurp, slurp, slurp…

Chance didn't even have time to warn her. He gasped, his expression a mixture of surprise and release as he popped, and everything went slack at once. The overload died down, replaced by the heady feeling of completion. Damn but he needed a glass of milk right now. It'd make this even better! He looked down at her for a moment… and saw that she'd stopped.

"Callie… you okay?"

Two seconds later, he found that he didn't even need to ask. He moaned as her throat worked around him before she pulled back, then pushed forward. "What are you doing…?" His eyes widened again. "You're gonna try to do that again?"

Callie pulled herself all the way off and licked her lips. "I'd fry your brain if I did." She crawled her way up his body, every inch of her clothing brushing against his fur. It took her ten seconds to get to her feet before she planted a searing, slow kiss on his lips. When she pulled back, her eyes nearly glowed from behind her lashes. "Instead of seeing me do that again… you get to see me do this."

She started with the cardigan, slipping it off her shoulders while she was nose to nose with him. Then she walked backward, each step bringing her closer to the bed. Three steps later, she removed her camisole, letting it drop to the carpet as she moved back. Chance licked his lips at the sight of her breasts, a powder blue lace bra trapping them in place.

The next two steps saw her taking the pearl blindfold out from the right pocket of her jeans and fitting it over her eyes, tying it off behind her head before she reached for her jeans, her fingers moving with absolute confidence. It took her all of five seconds to undo the button, and Chance swore it took twice as long to unzip the fly.

Maybe it was just him.

She hooked her thumbs into the waistline of the jeans, and every sway of her hips brought it closer to the carpet. Chance kicked his pants in the same direction Callie sent his shorts, and leaned against the door to watch her work. Her jeans dropped after a few moments, and she turned to face the bed. As she walked, the rest of the clothing didn't seem to matter, because Chance's eyes zeroed in on her hips and tail.

Soon enough though, his gaze lifted to her as she climbed on top of the bed and lay on her right side, wearing nothing but the blindfold and the widest grin he'd ever seen on her. It only made what she said next sound sexier than it legally should.

"Chance Furlong… come over here and make me scream."

God, she was amazing… taking her clothes off like that without even having to look. He couldn't have done that if he tried. Chance smiled and headed for the dresser just next to the bed. "Not yet. I did say you wouldn't be able to do anything about this, so I plan to make good on that." He opened up a drawer and rummaged around in there.

Callie glanced in his direction. "What are you doing?"

He closed the drawer after he found what he needed and the gasp when he started to tie the restraints around her wrists before securing them to the headboard made him grin. Callie's laugh only made it widen. "Oh my God, you were _ready_ for this, weren't you?"

Chance shrugged. "I was gonna save it for later, but you kinda forced my hand. Works out either way." He leaned over her, nibbled at her right ear before blowing into the delicate shell. She shuddered at his whisper. "Now then… you said anything?"

Callie whispered into the ear she could reach. "Anything."

Chance paused for a moment, letting the thought sink in. Anything he wanted, and she'd let him. He closed his eyes and shook his head. "You've never let anyone else do this, have you."

Callie shook her head. "No."

Another pause, shorter this time. "Why me then? This's what any other of the assholes we fought would have done to you. If you think about it hard enough, I'm doing what they did…"

Callie nodded. "You are. You're keeping me from moving around while you do _unspeakable_ things to me." She shuddered, and Chance could tell it wasn't out of horror or revulsion. "You were… prepared. Ready for the day I'd come here and tease you. Maybe not now, but somewhere down the line." She licked her lips. "Like I said… I love a tom that knows how to use the brain he was born with."

Chance huffed. "That doesn't answer my—"

"—I trust you with my life." Callie's grin returned in full force, her teeth glistening in the lights of the bedroom. "Thus, I have no qualms what so ever about putting it in your hands, as fully as I can." She leaned toward his right ear, as much as she could. "Now then… stop asking questions and fuck me."

That got his attention, and he nipped at her ear. "Well when you put it that way…" He made his way down her jaw line with kisses, stopped at her neck to nibble again. She squirmed, and his ears twitched at the sound of her purr. "I'm gonna have to refuse." He made a trail of kisses down her neck, toward her collar bone. "See… what you did to me? That's torture. I think it's time to return the favor."

Callie whimpered, her body rising to his kisses and licks. "To the victor… g-goes the spoils. I said anything and…" She gasped as his fingers wrapped around one of her breasts. "I meant it. Do your worst!"

Chance smiled and took in her the smell of her heat, mixed with the shampoo and perfume and her skin. Then he wrapped his lips around a nipple and sucked hard, forcing her body to rise, the goose bumps on her skin already prickling at the touch of his hand. One of his legs rested between hers, and she slid her hips against his thigh with shameless moans.

"Chance, please… don't tease me…"

He raised his head, giving her blind face a heated stare. "You did it to me."

Callie whined, shaking her head. "I know, it's just… You're driving me crazy! Just… just take me already!"

He chuckled for what had to be the sixth time tonight. She was just so cute that he couldn't help it. "You're like a kitten right now, you know that?" He took control of the other tit with his lips, making Callie arch her back again with a gasp, hips grinding against his leg. Then he bit down, careful not to bite too hard.

It was enough to almost make her lift off the bed entirely. "Oh God, Chance! That's…"

Her scent spiked, and he pulled off of the nipple with a pop. "You have no idea how much fun this is." He gave it one last nibble and enjoyed the shiver along her skin before he moved elsewhere. "But you know… I think it's time for the coup de grace, wouldn't you say?"

"By all means." The grin appeared yet again. "Just don't take too long, I want you to stuff me!"

That one made Chance laugh. Why the hell hadn't they done this earlier? Sure, they'd done stuff like this before, but… not like _this_. He parted her legs, kept them spread, and didn't waste any time sliding his tongue along her sex.

Her taste never got old. it was something he couldn't really explain. Something sweet and sour at the same time, it was hers, and no one else's. Chance had to get more of it. He went from licking the folds to sliding his tongue inside her, holding her legs and hips in place as he had his own snack time. He made it a point to make it as noisy as she was with hers.

"Oh _God_…" Callie gasped, fighting for air and sanity. "I'm _close_! Don't stop, Chance!"

He didn't respond to that, just slurped, licked, and sucked. She tried to shove her hips into his face, but he held her still. He closed his eyes, letting his sense of smell guide the way… and when she was just about to break, standing just at the edge and about to drop over, he pulled back and licked his lips clean of her.

"What? Chance, you…" She growled. "You did not just _do_ that!"

He smirked. "Relax." He kept her legs spread as he changed positions, leaning over her and lined up right in front of her needy snatch. "That wasn't the coup de grace…" Without another word of warning, he slid inside with one stroke until his hips pressed against hers. She closed around him on instinct, making him groan as he pushed in. "_This_ is! Fuck, Callie…"

Her laugh came out shaky, voice wavering as her body relished how full he made her. Callie slid against him, her hips making small circles. "It barely fits… I don't know if it's just me, but you're so _big_!" She twisted her hips to tighten them even more, and moaned as he pressed against her from every angle. "Now… don't hold back, don't stop."

Chance grinned and kissed her nose before pulling halfway out and slamming back in. The satisfying smack of his hips against hers set the tone, and he didn't hesitate to get a slow, steady pace going. She almost didn't give him an inch to move, her hips tried to hold him in like a vice. It made every thrust agonizing in its pleasure, and it helped that she started to egg him on by lifting her hips just as he came down.

"What are you waiting for?" Her speech was husky, breathless.

Chance smirked. "Hey, you said anything I wanted." He groaned as she grinded against him again. "So I'm doing what I want!" Smack. Smack. SMACK. Deliberate, slow, precise.

"Oh _fuck_! Yes… right there!"

The big tom grinned. "Okay… _now_ I'm gonna get started." He pulled back halfway… then brought down the hammer again, only this time he pulled out a half-second later, only to shove his way in again. He'd found the one place inside her that'd make her squeal, and now he capitalized.

Callie fought for air, hands balled into fists and tail curled. "D-damn you…" She hissed. "Stop holding back, I'm not made of china!" She growled, tossing her head back onto a nearby pillow. "It's so good… _harder_!"

Right, she asked for it. Chance growled and hammered her for all she could stand, made her bounce and shake in proper fashion, and Callie's squeal was his reward. He grunted as she tightened up. "I think she approves!"

"_Fuck yes_ she does! Chance, I… I can't hold it!"

And she didn't. The first climax hit her with the force of a tidal wave… and he still kept pounding, kept trying to break her in half. Chance barked out a laugh as he stole the ability to speak proper English away from her. It only took another five minutes before a raw, wordless scream tore from her throat, the result of a pitch over a second cliff. Apparently she'd bounced off this one in mid-fall, because her scent spiked again, overpowering him, making him crazy.

The blush painting her cheeks deepened. "You… you…" She laughed, a tear running down her cheek. "I _love_ you for this."

He grunted and groaned, unable to go any further. "Shit, I'm gonna lose it!"

Callie purred. "Do it. Turn me into a mess." She strained against her bonds, bracing for the end. "_Do it_!"

Smack, smack, smack, smack… Chance didn't reach the sixth thrust before he jammed his hips onto hers, pinning her down with his whole weight as he surged inside her. Callie wrapped her legs around his hips, pulling him as deep into her as he could go. Chance managed a gasp as he hit the very back of her tunnel, even as he gushed again and again.

He opened his eyes, only to meet Callie's blindfolded gaze. He could still feel her eyes burn through him. "You listen to me, Detective." She licked her lips as he spent the last dregs of his load. "We're going to do this more often, you big sexy bastard. You hear me?"

Chance did nothing but nod.

She pressed her lips against his, slid her tongue down his throat, and wrestled with him for a good twenty seconds. Then she broke away with a trace of her tongue against his. "I'm sleeping here tonight. Don't ask questions."

The big tom chuckled. "Since we're in it for the long run now… why not?" He kissed her right ear. "I'm sorry for—"

"—Save it." She nuzzled his right cheek. "Apologize again and I'll tease you until you die. Let's just enjoy this, okay? We won't get to do so tomorrow."

Chance nodded. "Copy that."

* * *

**Chapter 17 – **_**No More Running**_

Whoa. This shit blew _my_ goddamn mind even as I wrote it. And one of my favorite authors (who happens to be my beta reader as well) absolutely raved the hell out of every section this chapter had to offer. So if you've reached the end of this, thank you.

Now then, leave a review for what has to be one of my longest chapters to date. I tried to get this out as fast as I could to you guys before I left, so I want plenty of feedback when I return from Thanksgiving Weekend!

_This is your Slayer._


	18. Chapter 18

_11:26 PM_

Calico Briggs lay on her right side, a light veil of sweat making her coat glisten in the soft, pale yellow lights of Chance's master bedroom. A trail of wrinkled clothes led to the bed, evidence at the scene of the crime. Her blindfold hung from the headboard, the pearlescent silk reflecting a myriad of colors. The black restraining straps that held her to the bed while the detective had his way with her had a place of honor right next to the sleep mask, and she couldn't think of a more appropriate location.

She rubbed her thighs together, still sticky from the aftermath of his victory, and shivered in delight. Yes. This was how it should be. If he could turn her into a pile of goo like this every night, she wouldn't mind at all. Callie took a moment to wonder if he was up for a second round before shaking her head. Work tomorrow morning, for the both of them.

She turned to look at the peaceful look on his sleeping face. How long had it been since she'd seen him so at ease? What drove him to take her with such force? When he finally let loose, it was with a furious intensity she'd only seen from him a few times. Callie grimaced, as the memory made parts of her ache that she never even knew could be sore.

Then she smiled. To hell with a tiger in the sack, Chance was an entirely different animal altogether. No idea at all which one that was, or if it even existed, but she wanted more of him.

They'd never leave if they started again though, and she knew it.

She ran a hand along Chance's forehead. God, he was so handsome when he was at peace. Sure, Chance was sexy when he was angry, focused, or in what she called his "thinking pose". But when the lines of his face no longer showed, when she could run her fingers along his face and find no tension, he looked his age.

Callie's mind stopped working.

Just how old was Chance anyway? Did he have any family, or were they all but gone? Her eyes narrowed. Why did he join the Enforcers in the first place, and how did he and Jake meet? The questions continued to pile up, until her eyelids squeezed together, brows pressed down and mouth pinched.

She'd slept with him four times, loved him more than nothing else in this world, but she knew all of _jack shit_ about the tom in bed with her.

Callie lay on her back and ran a hand across her forehead in an attempt to clear her head. He might as well be wearing that mask again, because she had no idea who he really was, where in the city he was born, what he liked and hated. She glanced over at him again. Time to change at least one thing about that.

She put her right hand on his left shoulder and squeezed, just enough to get his attention. "Wake up, beautiful." She smiled. "I want a midnight snack."

Chance moaned, brows pressing down on his eyes. "You want another round?" His voice came out in that sandpaper tone she loved.

Callie chuckled. So cute when he was sleeping. "If I did, this isn't how I'd wake you up."

The big tom's face sported a smirk as he turned to look at her, green eyes clouded and recovering from sleep. "We still have pizza downstairs if you want. Never did get to start on that, did we?"

Callie snuggled up close with a sigh, her left hand running along his chest. "In a bit… I don't want to leave yet." She didn't want to leave at all, but sooner or later, she'd have to make good on the excuse she'd used. She took a moment to feel his heart through the fur and skin and muscle, and smiled once she found it. Her eyes closed, chest rising as she took in his scent.

"Tell me your dreams, detective," she sighed.

Chance's eyebrows lifted. "This _can't_ be why you woke me up."

Callie opened her eyes, giving him her best not-kidding stare. Yes, this was going to happen now, before all the craziness started up again.

Chance sighed and turned back toward the ceiling, staring at the fan above the bed. He spoke after a few moments. "You remember that one time those pirates came from space and tried to take all our water?"

Callie huffed, her features darkening into an expression of loathing. "How could I forget? That was a logistical nightmare! I had to work with three different utility departments on that day and the Enforcers at the same time." She'd never hated the mayor more than she did on that day.

Chance smirked. "Yeah, well I was lucky enough to meet kats that didn't tolerate that crap. Those Aqueans were pretty awesome, and they helped us out with a lot of things, the least of which was the TurboKat." He turned toward Callie again. "I never told you what happened on that station, the day we took out Dark Kat for good… but before we went, Jake reverse-engineered what they did with the jet and put it into a pair of armored suits for the both of us."

Callie's eyes widened. It wasn't the craziest thing she'd heard, but… that was alien technology in those things! The possibilities were impossible to count… "Why exactly did he give those plans to Pumadyne again?"

Chance chuckled and directed his gaze back toward the ceiling. "Ever since then, I've wanted to go back out there…" He scoffed. "I'm not talking about those times we went suborbital in the jet. I mean… _out_ there."

Callie examined his features for a moment, her eyes soft, and she understood. She could feel the intent, the emotions of wonder and curiosity. They were subtle, unlike most of what Chance did, but they were there… in his voice and in his face, and in the way he breathed. She could hear his heart rate climb just enough as he continued to talk, and once he'd started, he couldn't seem to stop. A gentle smile graced her features and she propped herself up with one elbow, unable to close her eyes as he told her of what he thought was out there.

Just like a kitten, he was.

Callie waited for him to finish and settled back into the bed. "Well, now that you've put it that way, I think I'd like to take a trip out there, too." She shook her head. "Not like I'll have time… I'll be too busy trying to put this city back where it belongs." She ran a hand along his chest with a sigh. "And I won't be able to see you while you're all the way up there, fighting your monsters and rescuing space kittens in distress." Callie chuckled. "Not like I'd even _let_ you if I were—"

Everything stopped as Chance kissed her, her eyes wide with surprise. It only lasted a brief moment before she purred and returned the favor, but even the gentle touch of his lips only lasted for a fleeting three seconds. "Y'know… there are better ways to make me be quiet." She touched her forehead to his. "But I can't think of them."

Chance smirked. "I always did like how quickly you picked up on things." His features turned solemn. "I would never, ever go anywhere without you."

Callie's eyes darkened, her lids partly covering them. "Promise me."

Chance smiled. "I'll never go anywhere without you, not if I can help it." He kissed her again, only a brief touch. "And trust me, most of the time, I can."

She ran a hand along one of his ears. Maybe Felina was right… she should just ask him to marry her right now. But she didn't want to take that option away from him, not yet. "I'll be holding you to that, detective." Callie sighed again. "But for now, let's actually get that pizza fixed up. I have a feeling we're going to need it for today…"

* * *

**Kanto the Slayer** presents

A _SWAT Kats_ Fanfiction

_**MegaKat Shield**_

* * *

"What exactly is this, Snowy?"

Angela shrugged as she drove toward their next stop, a borough known as the Southern Hills. She wasn't sure why Penny gave her this book, but after reading the first few pages of it, she lost her taste for the thing. Besides, the Goth said it was for Callie. "A present from our systems analyst. She has some weird tastes."

Callie opened it and found a vid chip in the front cover, along with a scribbled note.

_Be good if you can. Be ruthless if you have to._

She chuckled and pulled the chip out of its plastic casing. "I didn't think she had a thing for Meowchiavelli."

Angela stopped at a red light and glanced at the book. "Well I think the guy's a creep, and a jerk. The stuff in that book is absolutely horrific." She grimaced, the disgust roiling through her like something slimy. "I know you declared war on Manx and his little cronies, but this stuff is…"

"…Amoral? Deceitful? _Evil_?" Callie shook her head. "Maybe you're right. Maybe this won't help at all, and we'll both be better off without it." Callie removed her phone from its dashboard-mounted cradle and slid the chip inside one of the slots near the bottom. "But we no longer have a simple, single opponent. We have a lot of them, and none of them are playing by our rules."

The redhead turned her attention to the road again. "Don't you mean the rules?"

"No, I mean _our_ rules. No slander, no targeting other kats outside of the process, no backroom deals." She put the phone back in its resting place and leaned back in her seat. "So we're not doing what's right anymore, Snowy. We're doing what's necessary…"

Angela sighed. "…So we can make way for what's right. I get it." The light turned green and she toed the accelerator. "But I still don't like it. It's wrong to lie, to hide what we're doing from everyone. We're basically doing the same manipulation that Manx is doing." She scoffed. "Or rather, letting others do for him."

Callie shrugged. "It's effective, Snowy. He wins the elections because he relies on people more clever than him that run things behind the scenes. That way he can work on making himself look good for the people. And if there's one thing that he's good at doing, it's making himself look good." She focused her attention on her phone as the video started. "The thing is… I'm just as good at that."

"Well I sure hope so, because if anyone finds out what we're about to do, they'll have all our heads. And you know no one's going to like this idea at the meeting we're gonna hold before the rally." Angela shrugged. "But they don't have to, right? They just have to do what they're told."

Callie shook her head. "No they don't. I'm going to give everyone a chance to leave, to back out before things get nasty. They don't have to pay for the things I'm about to do." She glanced to her right. "You have that same chance too, you know. Just tell me you want no part of this, and I'll—"

"—You'll stop right there, that's what you'll do." Angela huffed. "If we're gonna get muddy, we'll both get muddy. Just because I don't like it doesn't mean I can't do it."

The blonde smiled. "When we're done getting our hands dirty, our goal is to clean house." The smile turned to a grimace. "Find what works, find what doesn't, and go from there. I will brook no tolerance of crap." She turned her attention to the phone again. "And if this is the way to start, so be it."

Callie's fingers ran over the book in her lap. The title of the black hardcover, inscribed in gold, was _Il Principe_… Meowchiavelli's The Prince.

Angela glanced over at her from time to time as her boss took in the text running along the screen. Her features had a dispassionate tone to them as she took it all in, and for a moment, the redhead wondered if Callie was even moving at all. The only signs of it were the subtle rise and fall of her chest as she breathed, and the occasional tap of the finger on the phone as she moved to the next page.

Suddenly, she understood how Callie could take what was in the book without flinching. She'd had to do bad, illegal things before to achieve good ends. After all, Angela was one of the few kats who knew what Callie had to go through to protect herself against any future incidents with the armies of gangs and super-criminals.

So why the hell couldn't she take the same news with equal… what was the word? Aplomb? Yeah, that was it. Maybe it was the translation of the thing. All that talk about virtue made it cloudy. She cleared her throat after taking note of her surroundings. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we're almost at our hotel. You might wanna put a bookmark on that."

Callie nodded and stopped reading, putting her phone on standby as they pulled up to the valet station. "Let's go discuss the change in policy, then..."

* * *

Donovan could not take his eyes off of the still image, frozen on the flat screen monitor mounted just behind his place at the boardroom table.

The blond tom with orange markings pointed at the camera… at him… the glare evident even through the mirror coating of his aviator shades. Someone had informed the detective, told him of the connection between Axim and the operations in this underground facility.

It wasn't a surprise that he'd made the connections from there. Chance Furlong had made the first strike, and it was quick, decisive, all at once.

Donovan attempted to kill the detectives and their captain by proxy. This was the price of his failure: A determined, skilled, and SWAT-trained pair of Enforcers was now on the hunt for him, and who knew what intelligence they had wrested from the squealer. The same mistake would not happen twice.

He'd handle this personally now.

But first… Axim had to die.

Donovan swiveled in his chair and pressed a button underneath his place at the table. His Security Chief's voice channeled through the overhead speakers moments later. "Rochford."

"Chief Rochford, I have a proposition for you." He smiled, a wicked glint in his eyes. "How would you like to make up for your previous failure?"

"That depends on what you had in mind, sir."

Donovan retrieved a remote from a hidden compartment in the table, swiveled to face the monitor, and rewound the newscast until Axim's face could be seen. He then transmitted the image to Rochford's computer. "I want you to memorize that face. Study it carefully. Once you have the image firmly in your mind, destroy that recording and send your best kats to kill that overweight, pompous little bastard before he becomes more of a nuisance." He turned back toward the table. "Do it yourself if you have to, but I want him removed from the game."

A pause for a few moments, then a response. "Quiet or loud?"

He placed a hand under his chin for a moment. Perhaps it would be fitting for him to have a violent, destructive end, it would send everyone else a message. It would also send the Enforcers on his trail. He didn't want the detectives finding him just yet, not until it was too late to change things.

Donovan was past the point of caring about a spectacle though.

"Loud. The board does not need an isolated pawn." He terminated the conversation and propped his elbows on the table, forming his hands into a steeple. All he had to do now was wait for the results. Rochford wasn't incompetent, he did his job well and didn't have to be reminded of what was at stake. Which meant if he failed this time, it meant there was someone that much better, or the Enforcers anticipated Axim being targeted.

Donovan stood and headed out of the board room. At the very least, it would keep them occupied until he finished his next move against Briggs.

Speaking of that...

Donovan emerged from the boardroom into his command center, abuzz with more activity than seen before. Instead of fingers typing at keyboards, technicians unplugged cables and wires, pulled servers from their racks, and packed it all into reinforced crates. He folded his arms as he oversaw the process, a grim mask of finality on his features.

If they wanted to find him, he'd make them work for it. Besides, his team could operate on the move, and the battle had shifted to another district. Add the fact that Briggs was already on the move to her next rally location, and the wharf was no longer an ideal base for his work. After a few moments, he headed toward the a/v station, where members of his team expected him.

It was time to send a message of his own. No need to have his guests leave empty handed, after all.

* * *

"What're the odds he bugs out before the week's over?"

Chance stared at the screen as the address tracer did its work, his eyes narrowed. "Damn good. Chances are he's already getting ready to move. The question isn't where he is, it's where he's going to be when he stops." He glanced toward Jake. "You sure he can only have one IP? What's to say he can't switch it?"

The hacker shook his head. "He's stuck with that address for a good while, unless he changes up his whole network. I mean server boards, devices, the whole nine yards." Jake leaned back in his seat. "Since we can't confirm his current location right now, this is what we gotta do. Once we get a lock on what address is his, we can hit him no matter where he lands." Jake grinned. "The slightest broadcast of any data will light him up like a fireworks show at midnight."

Chance nodded, eyes still narrowed as he turned his focus back to the tracer. "And then we kick his ass."

Jake shrugged and swiveled in his chair. "He'll be ready for us when we do find him. Whatever hole he'll be in will be on total lockdown, and his security team will be dug in tight. He knows he can't run forever and probably has a contingency plan just in case he does get caught."

"I hope that plan doesn't include 'remain silent' or 'hire the most expensive lawyer you can', because neither of those will save him from this."

Chance looked over his right shoulder, only to see Felina headed toward them. "You're just in time, Captain. We're about to lock onto him."

Felina leaned forward with her hands on Jake's desk, her eyes giving the screen a good once-over. "I've already got a SWAT team briefed on the situation. Once we find this asshole, we'll grab him, drag him back, and—"

"—you're not gonna find him." Jake shook his head. "Chance and I already talked, he's probably packing his shit as we do this." Before Felina could respond, the program chimed and the screen stopped scrolling. The slim tom grinned. "But keep that team on standby. The next time he logs in, we'll know."

Felina's expression soured. "So you're saying that he's already planned for this, and we should have hit him first. Without Axim though, we wouldn't have been able to track Donovan like we are right now." Her jaw tightened. "Give me some good news. Please."

Chance cleared his throat. "We still have the list of collaborators, names of the companies trying to keep City Hall in their pockets. Axim was just the first, and he was responsible for hiring the kat we're currently trying to lock up. If we can lean on the rest of them, get them to tell us where he'll be next—"

"—then get it done." Felina pushed off from the desk. "I want results within the next two days. We can't have Callie under pressure for much longer, especially not with her rally tour going on." She turned toward Chance. "Who's next on the list?"

Jake pulled up the file before the big tom could respond and checked the names. "It's an agracite mining corporation, Lakatta Heavy Industries. Invested in the military, ships directly to Pumadyne and sometimes to us." He shook his head. "Seems they've taken to favoring a few unsafe conditions for the sake of profits, and Manx has given them the loopholes needed to cut corners in exchange for their campaign support." Jake scrolled down to the list of board members until he found what he was looking for. "Current CEO is one Patti Longtail."

Chance nodded. "Then that's who we hit." He headed for his desk, snagged his leather jacket from the back of his chair, and made his way for the exit. "Let's have a talk with Ms. Longtail about her other unethical business practices. I want everything we can get on her while we're driving."

Jake stood and jogged after his partner. "I'm on it!"

* * *

**Chapter 18 — _Declaration of Hostilities_**

OMG. It's been how long now since I've updated this? Forever? Yeah, forever.

Well forever is over. I hope the wait's been worth it.

My compy got hit with a virus that made Word work funny, so I had to look for an alternative resource. I found it in Google Docs, and man is it ever fucking handy. Guys, seriously, start using that shit, because it's the best collaborative method to make a good story ever. The beta reader and the author work in tandem to make each chapter work, and that's exactly what happened with this, though **Ulyferal** didn't seem to have any complaints.

By the way, she's a badass. Read her shit.


End file.
